
Class 

Book. 

OopigM - 



COPYRIGHT DEPOStT. 




S. H.WEST 

On His Ninetieth Birthday 



GODDENA 

THE UNKNOWN GOD 



By S.H.WEST 
LeROY, ILLINOIS 






*v 



DEDICATION 

I dedicate this book to the entire 
human race. 

THE AUTHOR 



**\t <V:a 



AUG 30 1917 
©CI.A47S405 



PREFACE 

The Author of this Book is searching for 
Truth, and will follow that Trail wherever 
it may lead, without regard to consequences 
personal to himself. He believes the world 
needs a higher form of religion than has yet 
prevailed — one that will elevate man above 
the plane of war, which no religion has done. 

The Author. 



Introductory. 

Nature has endowed man with common 
sense and reason. It is his highest duty to 
exercise those faculties on all subjects that 
come before him, including religion. No 
theory can be accepted as a science until it is 
proven by actual demonstrated facts, like 
astronomy and the Marconi system of wire- 
less telegraphy. 

Faith without positive knowledge is of no 
more value in a Christian than in a Moham- 
medan, a Hindoo, or a Hottentot. The world 
is full of faiths. There are many forms of 
faith among Christians ; some believe that if 
you have faith in the divinity of Jesus 
Christ, and are baptized by immersion, you 
will go to heaven, but if you are only sprin- 
kled you are doomed to eternal hell. We 
should not attach any value to any form of 
faith that is not supported by positive scien- 
tific knowledge. 

All ages have been supplied with man- 
made gods, who were simply a reflex of what 
their makers thought a god ought to be. 



6 Introductory 

There is no scientific proof that any of 
those gods are the Supreme Power of the 
Universe. 

No one has a right to try to tear down any 
form of religion, unless he can offer a sub- 
stitute that he believes is better. Robert J. 
Ingersoll, one of the greatest and best of 
men, failed in this particular. He did much 
to destroy the Christian religion, but had 
nothing to offer as a substitute. 

In regard to a future life he simply said 
he ' ' didn 't know. ' ' Means of knowing were 
within his reach, and it was his duty to avail 
himself of the opportunity. While oppos- 
ing the Christian religion, I offer as a sub- 
stitute one that is vastly superior in every 
respect, founded on reason, justice, human- 
ity and absolute scientific knowledge, and 
one that does honor to the Infinite Supreme 
Power of the Universe. 



GODDENA 

The Unknown God 

Religion is a necessity of the human soul. 
A germ of religion is born with every babe. 
Out of this germ every form of religion on 
earth has been developed ; each one in accord 
with the environments of the individual, 
tribe, or nation. 

When man evoluted to a point where he 
could exercise thought above the brute cre- 
ation, he, on looking at the wonderful mys- 
teries of nature, was moved to a feeling of 
awe and reverence for the Supreme Power 
that he felt ruled over all. He manifested 
this feeling by making crude images of clay, 
wood, and stone to represent his conception 
of the ruling power. 

This was the beginning of superstition, 
religion, and the god idea. As man pro- 
gressed in intelligence he formulated con- 
ceptions of greater gods. In the earlier 
historical periods such nations as Chaldea, 
Egypt, Assyria and Babylon, each had one 
or more gods. Babylon had a godsmith, 

7 



8 ,Goddena: The Unknown God 

who made gods to order, like a blacksmith. 
India, China, Japan, Arabia had their gods, 
and Greece, when she had reached the high- 
est intellectual greatness ever attained by 
man, had a chief god named Zeus, and 
many smaller gods. 

The Jews had a god they called Jehovah. 
Now, as we are more interested in this god 
than in any others, we will proceed to inves- 
tigate his characteristics. 

It appears from Jewish records that at 
the beginning this Jehovah god created the 
heavens, earth, and all things contained 
therein, including the human race. He was 
all- wise, all-powerful, and all-knowing. He 
created man just as He wanted him. If He 
did not, it was His own fault. He also cre- 
ated the devil, whom He knew would defeat 
all His plans and purposes. He either cre- 
ated the devil or else the devil was an inde- 
pendent god. In either case the devil has 
proven to be greater than God. If God cre- 
ated the devil, why did He do it? If the 
devil is the author of sin, who is the author 
of the devil ? Take any view of the case that 
you may and it leads right back to God as 



Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 9 

the responsible party for all that has fol- 
lowed creation. He made Adam and Eve 
pure. It would have been very easy to have 
kept them in that condition. Had He done 
so we would have had a heaven on earth all 
the time. He placed temptation before 
Adam and Eve and they fell, as He knew 
they would ; and as a consequence, we have 
had a hell on earth ever since, in which the 
devil has defeated God in every effort He 
has made for the benefit of man. This is a 
poor showing for Jehovah. 

The only reason we have heard for God's 
act in placing temptation before Adam and 
Eve is that God thought it necessary to en- 
dow man with free moral agency, with right 
to choose good or evil. But why necessary ? 
Tell this to babes and sucklings, but not to 
grown men. The claim is an insult to com- 
mon intelligence. If true it has been at a 
frightful cost to God and mankind. It has 
cost God a constant effort to save man, and 
He failed in all of them. 

Let us go back and try to trace out the 
pedigree of the devil. We are told that he 
had been an angel in heaven, but had re- 



10 jGoddena: The Unknown God 

belled and been cast out. Now be it known 
that angels are the spirits of persons who 
have lived on earth, therefore somebody 
must have lived on earth before Adam and 
Eve, and it also shows there is no certainty 
of remaining in heaven, if we are lucky 
enough to get there. This narrative leaves 
a confused impression and needs a full ex- 
planation. The first born child of Adam 
and Eve killed his brother ; then he went into 
the land of Nod, married, and raised chil- 
dren. Query: where did his wife come 
from % The early records are very defective 
on these points. After the fall of Adam and 
Eve the human race became so wicked that 
God repented that he had created man, and 
finally, in his desperation, he drowned all 
but eight of the human race. He saved the 
eight with which to start a purer race. 
With this wonderful experience it would 
be fair to suppose that Noah and his poster- 
ity would be moral and strictly pure. But 
what was the result ? When the flood sub- 
sided, Noah came out of the Ark with his 
family, animals, serpents, vipers, flies, mos- 
quitos, and every other insect. He planted 



Moses and Joshua 11 

a vineyard, raised grapes, made wine, be- 
came a beastly drunkard, and he and his 
posterity continued as wicked as the race 
had been before the flood. Tally two for the 
devil. This was his second great victory 
over God. This condition of wickedness 
continued for long ages. Free moral agency 
was getting in its work in fine style. We 
will now make some quotations from Jeho- 
vah's Book, to show what manner of God 
He was. 

Moses and Joshua 

Moses and Joshua were God's vice-gerents 
to execute His will on earth. I quote from 
the thirty-first chapter of Numbers: "And 
the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ' Avenge 
the children of Israel of the Midianites; 
afterwards shall thou be gathered unto thy 
people'." 17th and 18th verses of the same 
chapter: "Now, therefore, kill every male 
among the little ones, and kill every woman 
that hath known a man by lying with him." 
"But all the women, children, that have not 
known a man by lying with him, keep alive 
for yourselves." I am ashamed to quote 
such horrid items. My only excuse is that 



12 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

Christians claim that every word in the 
Bible is God's holy word. Joshua, chapter 
vi, verse 21: "And they utterly destroyed 
all that was in the city, both man and 
woman, young and old, and ox and sheep, 
and ass, with the edge of the sword. ' ' Verse 
25: "And Joshua saved Rahab, the harlot, 
alive, with her father's household." That 
is the ww God and Joshua treated the red 
light subject. Chapter viii, verse 24 : "And 
it came to pass, when Israel had made an end 
of slajdng all the inhabitants of Ai in the 
field, in the wilderness wherein they chased 
them, and wlien they were all fallen on the 
edge of the sword, until they w T ere consumed, 
that all the Isralites returned unto Ai, and 
smote it with the edge of the sword. " And 
so it was that all that fell that day, both men 
and women, were twelve thousand, even all 
the men of Ai, for Joshua drew not 
his hand back, wherewith he stretched 
out the spear, until he had utterly de- 
stroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Chap- 
ter viii, verse 7 : "Then ye shall rise up from 
the ambush, and seize upon the city, for the 
Lord your God will deliver it into vour hand, 



Moses and Joshua 13 

and it shall be, when you have taken the city, 
that he shall set the city on fire, according to 
the command of the Lord shall ye do." 

Chapter x, verse 12:... "Then spake 
Joshua to the Lord, in the day when the 
Lord delivered up the Amorites, before the 
Children of Israel, and he said in the sight 
of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gideon ; 
and thou Moon in the Valley of Ajalon." 
And the Sun stood still, and the Moon stayed 
until the people had avenged themselves 
upon their enemies. Is not this written in 
the book of Jasher ? So the sun stood still 
in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go 
down for about a whole day. And there was 
no day like that before it, or after it, that 
the Lord harkened unto the voice of a man ; 
for the Lord fought for Israel. 

"What a collosal insult to common sense. 
Joshua, a mortal man, suspends the laws of 
the universe, and stops the sun in its course 
for about a whole day, and there are people 
who seem to be intelligent who pretend to 
believe this story. They say God can do 
anything. If so why don't he kill the devil ? 
The fabulous prevaricator who perpetrated 



14 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

this fable didn't seem to know that the sun 
is stationary and the earth does the motion 
act. This one story is enough to condemn 
the whole Bible. Verse 40 : " Joshua smote 
all the country of the hills, and of the south, 
and of the vale, and of the springs and all 
their kings ; he left none remaining, but ut- 
terly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord 
God of Israel commanded." Chapter xi, 
verse 20 : " For it was of the Lord to harden 
their hearts, that they should come against 
Israel in battle, that he might destroy them 
utterly, and that they might have no favor, 
but that he might destroy them as the Lord 
commanded Moses." 

These are samples of God's loving mercy 
to the poor mortals whom He had brought 
into existence. Hardened their hearts to 
give Him an excuse to punish them. What 
a God ! The devil could be no worse. Free 
moral agency comes very high. And who is 
benefitted? The cruelties and wickedness 
of the wars of Moses and Joshua can never 
be excelled by the worst savages on earth. 

Tli ere were thirty-one kingdoms thus ut- 
terly destroyed — men, women, and innocent 



Solomon 15 

children. The civilized world has been 
shocked at the treatment of Belgium by 
Germany in the war in Europe. Compare 
that treatment with God and Joshua's war- 
fare. It is blasphemous to charge such 
crimes against the Infinite God. 

David was a man after God's own heart. 
His treatment of Uriah was as dastardly a 
crime as was ever perpetrated. 

Solomon was Another One of God's 
Favorites 

First Kings, chapter xi, verse 2: " Solo- 
mon clave unto these in love." Verse 3: 
"And he had seven hundred wives, prin- 
cesses, and three hundred concubines; and 
his wives turned away his heart." Yes, I 
would think so. 

Brigham Young, with his twenty-one 
wives, was a santified saint in comparison 
with Solomon. And yet it appears from 
the following that Solomon must have been 
a twin brother of God. See Proverbs, chap- 
ter viii, verse 22: "The Lord possessed me 
in the beginning of his way, before his works 
of old. I was set up from everlasting, 



16 Goddena: The Unknown God 

from the beginning or ever the earth was. 
Where there were no depths, I was brought 
forth, when there were no fountains abound- 
ing with water. 

Before the mountains were settled, before 
the hills were, I brought forth. While as 
yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, 
nor the highest part of the dust of the world, 
when he prepared the heavens, I was there ; 
when he set a compass upon the face of the 
deep ; when he established the clouds above ; 
when he strengthened the fountains of the 
deep; when he gave to the sea his decree 
that the waters should not pass his com- 
mandment ; when he appointed the founda- 
tions for the earth; then I was by him, as 
one brought up with him and I was daily 
his delight, rejoicing always before him. 
Rejoicing in the habitable part of the earth, 
and my delights were the sons of men." 
"Now, therefore, hearken unto me, O ye 
Children ; for blessed are they that keep my 
ways." Hear instruction, and be wise, and 
refuse it not. "Blessed is the man that 
heareth me, watching daily at my gates, 
waiting at the posts of my doors, for whoso 



Jonah 17 

findeth me, findeth life, and shall find favor 
of the Lord." "But he that sinneth against 
me wrongeth his own Soul; all that hate 
me love death." 

And all this from a man who kept a harem 
of one thousand lewd women. Comment is 
unnecessary. This subject is referred to the 
Committee on Purity. 

Jonah 

Chapter i, verse 17: "Now the Lord had 
prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, 
and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three 
days and three nights." Then he prayed 
unto the Lord his God, out of the fish's 
belly," and said, "I cried by reason of mine 
affliction unto the Lord and he heard me, 
and out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou 
hearest my voice, for thou hast cast me into 
the deep, into the midst of the sea, and the 
floods compassed me about, all the billows 
and the waves passed over me." Then I 
said, ' ' I am cast out of thy sight, yet I will 
look again toward thy holy temple. " " The 
waters compassed me about even to the 
Soul ; the depths closed me round about, the 



18 Goddena: The Unknown God 

weeds were wrapped about my head." "I 
went down to the bottom of the mountains ; 
the earth her bars were about me forever; 
yet hast thou brought up my life from cor- 
ruption, O Lord, My God. " " Then my Soul 
fainted within me ; I remembered the Lord 
and my prayer came in unto thee, into thy 
holy temple. They that observe lying vani- 
ties forsake their own mercy. But I will 
sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanks- 
giving. I will pay that, that I have vowed. 
Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord 
spake unto the fish and it vomited out Jonah 
upon the dry land." This story is referred 
to the Committee on Intellect and Educa- 
tion. 

Job a Model Man 

Chapter ii again : "There was a day when 
the sons of God came to present themselves 
before the Lord, and Satan came also among 
them to present himself before the Lord." 
And the Lord said unto Satan, "from 
whence comest thou?" And Satan answered 
the Lord and said, "from going to and fro 
in the earth, and from walking up and down 



Job 19 

in it." And the Lord said imto Satan: 
"Hast thou considered my servant Job, that 
there is none like him in the earth, a perfect 
and upright man, one that f eareth God ; and 
eschewith evil? And still he holdeth fast 
his integrity, although thou makest me 
against him, to destroy him without cause." 
And Satan answered the Lord and said 
"Skin for skin, yea all that he hath will he 
give for his life, but put forth thy hand now, 
and touch his bone and his flesh ; and he will 
curse thee to thy face." And the Lord said 
unto Satan, "behold he is in thine hand, but 
save his life." So went Satan forth from 
the presence of the Lord and smote Job with 
sore boils from the sole of his feet unto his 
crown. 

What a spectacle is here presented ! The 
Almighty Creator and Supreme Ruler of 
the Universe disputing with the devil, one 
of his creatures, about the merits of Job, one 
of the best of men. In which it seems that 
the devil got the best of the argument, so 
that God gave up and turned Job into the 
devil's hands with the request that the devil 
would spare Job's life. If God is all power- 



20 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

fill, he ought to have killed the devil there 
and then, and stopped his wicked career. 
But on the contrary, he permitted the devil 
to persecute and afflict Job to an extreme 
extent. 

This matter is respectfully referred to the 
High Brow Committee. 

We are told that God killed, in one night, 
all the first born in every family in Egypt. 
Poor innocent babes! And he is a God of 
love ! We are also told that he turned Lot's 
wife into a pillar of salt for looking back at 
the house she was leaving. It is a sin to 
teach such absurdities to innocent children. 

Prophets. 

Prophecy is an important feature in the 
Bible. In a number of places it is said that 
Christ did certain things "that it might be 
fulfilled" as spoken of by the Prophet. This 
looks like a put up job. It proves nothing 
but simplicity and duplicity. 

In Jeremiah, Chapter xxiii, verse 11-17 
we find the following: "For both prophet 
and priest are profane; yea, in my house 
have I found their wickedness, saith the 



Prophets 21 

Lord. " " Therefore their way shall be unto 
them as slippery ways in the darkness ; they 
shall be driven on, and fall therein; for I 
will bring evil upon them, even the year of 
their visitation, saith the Lord." "And I 
have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria ; 
they prophesied in Baal, and caused my peo- 
ple in Israel to err. " "I have seen also in 
the prophets of Jerusalem, a horrible 
thing. ' ' They commit adultery, and walk in 
lies; they strengthen also the hands of evil 
doers, that none doth return from his wick- 
edness; they are all of them unto me as 
Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as 
Gromorah ; therefore, thus saith the Lord of 
hosts concerning the prophets: "Behold, I 
will feed them with wormwood, and make 
them drink the water of gall; for from the 
prophets of Jerusalem is profaness gone 
forth into the land. " " Thus saith the Lord 
of Hosts: "Harken not unto the words of 
the prophets that prophecy unto you; they 
make you vain ; they speak a vision of their 
own heart, and not out of the mouth of the 
Lord. ' ' Much more of a similar nature con- 
cerning prophets can be found in the Bible, 



22 Goddena: The Unknown God 

from which it can be seen that prophets were 
no better than common men — not even as 
good. 

Personal Visits of God 

We are told that in olden times God made 
personal visits to men and conversed freely 
with them, as one man would with another. 
And on one occasion talked to a fish in the 
sea, and the fish obeyed him. But strange 
to say that there is no record that God has 
made any such visits to earth for nearly two 
thousand years. Why is this? Where is 
God, and what is the matter with Him % Is 
it possible that he is so much disgusted at his 
many defeats by the devil that he has retired 
from the contest and turned the human race 
over into the hands of the devil, as he did 
with Job ? Never in all time has there been 
such need of God's help as now, when the 
whole earth is enshrouded in the war spirit. 
But hold a moment. I recall one reported 
visit that God made in recent years. 

While standing on the sidewalk one day in 
Spokane, my attention was called to a 
racket, made by a band of the Salvation 
Army near by. For pastime, I walked down 



Personal Visits 23 

to the scene of action. In the course of their 
exercises, a young woman gave a talk, in 
which she said that "she had a brother in 
the east, who was in his sins, and she had 
been much worried about him ; but God came 
into her room a few days before and told her 
not to worry about her brother for he would 
take care of him, and for her to see after the 
young men of Spokane. " 

I don't suppose there are many orthodox 
Christians who can believe that God did any 
such thing. But their preachers will tell 
you with as much earnestness as the Maid of 
Spokane of how they get near to God and 
feel his presence, and tell his will and inten- 
tions. If they feel the presence of unseen 
forces it is that of angel friends, and not of 
the Jewish Jehovah. By way of degression, 
I will say that the Salvation Army, with all 
its absurdities, is doing more good than any 
other branch of Christians. They are the 
scavengers of the human race, raking the 
gutters of depravity and lifting fallen 
wretches to higher planes. This is angel 
work, no matter what delusion they may be 
under in regard to God. 



24 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

Futility of Prayer to God 

Since the beginning of the horrible war 
now raging in Europe, hundreds of millions 
of Christian prayers have been addressed to 
God for peace. 

Up to the present hour there is not a par- 
ticle of evidence that those prayers have had 
any more effect than if they had been ad- 
dressed to a wooden image. What is the 
matter ? Why can 't you get in rapport with 
God ? Simply because there is no scientific 
proof that such a being as the Jewish Jeho- 
vah ever existed. He is a myth, like all 
other man-made Gods. And it is the great- 
est blessing to the human race that there is 
no such a being, because a much grander and 
happier fate awaits us than is described in 
the Bible, and we should rejoice with exceed- 
ing great joy in the assurance that the real 
Supreme Power of the Universe is far su- 
perior to any God ever worshipped by mor- 
tal man. The Old Testament proves that 
God was an imbecile, being defeated by the 
devil in every contest with him, and the most 
cruel monster that ever existed. Bringing 
the human race into existence, and then mak- 



Tlie New Testament 25 

ing conditions that sends a vast majority of 
his children to eternal hell. 

The New Testament. 

Let us now investigate the New Testa- 
ment. It appears from the Old Testament, 
that after God had been defeated by the 
devil in all his efforts to reform and save the 
human race, that he adopted the heroic plan 
of sending his only Son from heaven to be 
killed so that his shed blood might wash out 
the sins of the world. It thus appears that 
God had not yet outgrown his folly and im- 
becility. This plan for collossal foolishness 
towers high above all the other acts recorded 
in the Old Testament. The idea of the Im- 
maculated Conception, is too absurd to men- 
tion. It is a slander on the mother of 
Jesus and a mockery of God. It is as im- 
possible as the stopping of the sun by 
Joshua. The worship of any one born of a 
mortal woman is idolatry. Christ was born 
of a mortal woman. His shed blood can no 
more atone for my sins than I can atone for 
the crimes of a thief or murderer. It is a 
law of nature that each person shall stand on 



26 Goddena: T7ie Unknown God 

his own merits in this life, and I have the as- 
surance of angel friends in heaven that the 
same rule prevails there, and this is in strict 
accord with common sense and justice. 

From my knowledge of materialization, 
I can say that it would have been much eas- 
ier and more effective for Christ to have 
come from heaven in materialized form than 
by the method recorded. Moreover if Cod 
sent His Son to be killed to save the human 
race, then the men who killed him were en- 
titled to honor for carrying out God's pur- 
pose. 

But no matter from what point you may 
view this matter, it is evident that this plan 
of saving the human race was a failure, as 
all preceding plans had been. It would be 
as reasonable to say that the blood of Abra- 
ham Lincoln washed away the sin of slavery 
as to say that the blood of Christ washed 
away the sins of the world. Then that blood 
was a failure in not being retroactive. It 
could not reach the many billions of people 
who had lived before Christ's time, and has 
only reached a small part of mankind since 



Christ as a Man 27 

then, thus leaving an overwhelming major- 
ity on the devil's side, up to date. 

Christ as a Man". 

I will discuss the merits and qualities of 
Jesus Christ in the same manner I would 
that of any other man. He was a mortal 
with good and bad qualities like all other 
mortals. He was a great medium, espe- 
cially in healing. He was generally mild 
and sympathetic, and a reformer, striving 
for the betterment of humanity. He said 
many good things, among the best was, "Do 
unto others that which you would have oth- 
ers do unto you. ' ' The same sentiment had 
been uttered by Confucius five hundred 
years before. Another apt remark was 
"Let he that is innocent cast the first stone. " 
It is not recorded that any stones were cast 
on that occasion. That remark will be ap- 
propriate in many cases, even to the present 
day. It is wondrous strange that the bible 
gives no record of Christ from twelve to 
thirty years of age. Where was he at that 
time ? An able work on that question rep- 



28 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

resents him as being in India during that 
important part of his life. 

But let us go back to the beginning of his 
work. 

In Matthew, chapter iv, verse 1: "Then 
was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wil- 
derness to be tempted of the devil." And 
why tempted? And when he had fasted 
forty days and forty nights he was after- 
wards hungered. And when the tempter 
came to him he said, "if thou be the Son of 
God command that these stones be made 
bread." Then the devil taketh him up into 
the holy city and sitteth him on a pinnicle 
of the temple, and saith unto him, "If thou 
be the Son of God cast thyself down"- for it 
is written he shall give his angels charge 
concerning thee, and in their hands they 
shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash 
thy foot against a stone." Jesus said unto 
him, "It is written again thou shalt not 
tempt the Lord thy God." Again the devil 
taketh him up into an exceeding high moun- 
tain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of 
the world, and the glory of them, and saith 
unto him, "all these things will I give thee 



Christ as a Man 29 

if thou wilt fall down and worship the Lord 
thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

Then the devil leaveth him, and behold an- 
gels came and ministered to him. It would 
seem from the above that the devil had ex- 
traordinary power if he could carry Christ 
around in that manner. But why the inno- 
cent Son of God be led around in such temp- 
tations by the devil ? What could God mean 
by allowing the devil, one of his own crea- 
tures, to roam around trying to defeat all of 
God 's work % Why didn 't God kill the devil 
at once and put a stop to such foolishness ? 
Chapter v, verse 23 : "But whosoever shall 
say thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. ' [ 
These are the words of Christ in the sermon 
on the mount, and shows that he dealt in hell 
fire himself. Verse 24 : " And if thy right 
eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from 
thee ; for it is profitable for thee that one of 
thy members should perish, and not that thy 
whole body should be cast into hell. " Verse 
39: " Whosoever shall smite thee in the 
right cheek, turn to him the other also. ? ' No 
manhood in that. Verse 40 : "And if any 
man sue thee at the law and take awav thy 



30 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

coat, let him have thy cloak also, and whoso- 
ever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with 
him twain. ■ ' " Give to him that asketh thee, 
and from him that would borrow of thee, 
turn not thou away." Any mortal who 
would comply with these foolish commands 
at the present day, would be promptly 
placed under the care of a conservator. 
Chapter vi, verse 31 : " Therefore take no 
thought saying what shall we eat or what 
shall we drink or wherewith shall we be 
clothed." 

These quotations prove that Christ was a 
mere dreamer. The results of which are 
plainly shown in Chapter viii, verse 20: 
"And Jesus saith unto him, the foxes have 
holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but 
the son of man hath no where to lay his 
head." No other result could follow such 
imbecile teaching. His teaching would make 
tramps and hobos of all who would follow 
his directions today. Verse 21: And an- 
other one of his disciples said unto him, 
"Lord suffer me first to go and bury my 
father," but Jesus said unto him, "Follow 
me, and let the dead bury the dead." Such 



Christ as a Man 31 

actions today would stamp a man as a brutal 
savage. Chapter x, verse 34: " Think not 
that I am come to send peace on earth; I 
came not to send peace, but a sword. " Verse 
35 : " For I am come to set a man at vari- 
ance against his father, and the daughter 
against her mother, and the daughter-in-law 
against her mother-in-law. " " And a man 's 
foes shall be they of his own household.'' 
"He that loveth father or mother more than 
me is not worthy of me ; and he that loveth 
son or daughter more than me is not worthy 
of me. " This excludes me from being a fol- 
lower of Christ. I fail to find any divinity 
in the above quotations. 

But they sound grossly human. Chapter 
xii, verse 46: "While he yet talked to the 
people, behold his mother and his brethren 
stood without desiring to speak with him." 
Then one said unto him, "behold thy mother 
and thy brethren stand without desiring to 
speak with thee. ' ' But he answered and said 
unto him, that told him, "Who is ray mother 
and who are my brethren % ' ' 

On some occasions he addressed his 
mother as woman instead of mother. This 



32 Goddena: The Unknown God 

sounds harsh to me. I never could have ad- 
dressed my mother in that style. 

Chapter xxi, verse 4 : " All this was done, 
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken 
of by the prophets, saying, etc." Any pro- 
phecy can be fulfilled in that manner. Verse 
21: " Jesus answered and said unto them, 
" verily I say unto you, if ye have faith and 
doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is 
done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say 
unto this mountain; 'Be thou removed and 
be thou cast into the sea/ it shall be done." 
I refer this to the Committee on Jonah and 
the whale. 

It is recorded that among his first miracles 
was the turning of water into wine and this 
was after the company were well drunken. 
This act would rule him out of the Anti- Sa- 
loon League of to-day. He was a commu- 
nist and commanded his followers to sell 
their property, divide with others, and take 
no thought of the morrow. Not one of his 
followers are obeying that command at this 
time. Christ was a visionary and imprac- 
tical. He was not capable of making a liv- 
ing. His Apostle Paul was far more sensi- 



Christ as a Man 33 

ble when he said, "that a man who failed to 
provide for his household was worse than 
an Infidel. ' ' There have been some attempts 
to carry out Christ's communistic princi- 
ples. I knew a colony on the Kaweah River 
in the mountains east of Visalia, California, 
that was known as the Kaweah Colony, that 
was organized on Christ's communistic 
ideas. They put everything into a common 
fund, and operated several years, then went 
all to pieces and most of them came out with- 
out anything. I asked one of them who was 
benefitted? He said "no one except a few 
of the leaders." The colony was a total fail- 
ure. Chapter xix, verse 29: "And every- 
one that hath forsaken houses, or brothers or 
sisters, or father or mother, or wife or chil- 
dren, or lands, for my name's sake, shall re- 
ceive a hundred fold and shall inherit ever- 
lasting life." The Kaweah Colony did not 
get a taste of this promise, but came out 
hungry. 

Since writing the above, I have just read 
of the suicide at Hanford, California, of 
Thomas W. Baker, on the 9th of May, 1917. 
He gave as a reason for his suicide the fact 



34 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

that lie was embarrassed with debts he could 
not pay. He was a member of the Kaweah 
Colony and was left destitute by its failure. 
He afterwards kept a cheap boarding house 
in Exeter, California, where I boarded with 
him when I was in that vicinity. His was 
the only boarding place there. He was a 
poor manager. But his untimely death was 
one of the results of the communistic teach- 
ings of Jesus Christ. 

Mark, chapter xiii, verse 30: " Verily I 
say unto you, that this generation shall not 
pass, until all these things be done." 
"Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my 
words shall not pass away. " As a matter of 
fact the things predicted have not come to 
pass yet. 

St. John, chapter xxi, verse 25: "And 
there are also many other things which Jesus 
did, the which, if they should be written ev- 
ery one, I suppose that even the world itself 
could not contain the works that should be 
written. Amen, I give it up and refer it to 
the Committee on Dreams and the Arabian 
Nights. What dependence can you place in 
anything: such reckless writers may say? It 



Christ as a Man 35 

appears that at the crucifixion of Christ he 
lost faith in his mission and his God, when 
he cried out, "My God, My God, why hast 
thou forsaken mef This proves that he 
was expecting some great intervention by 
God. Why should God intervene to save his 
Son, when he sent him to earth to be mur- 
dered to save sinners ? God and Christ were 
both paying a very high price for free moral 
agency, and God knew from the beginning 
what the result would be. He was a foolish 
God all the way through. The Hindoo 
mother who cast her babe in the mouth of 
the crocodile to appease the wrath of her 
God was thought to be very foolish, but she 
was a paragon of wisdom in comparison with 
God, who sent His Son to earth to be mur- 
dered to appease his wrath against his own 
children. It is said the bible is the word of 
God. As a matter of fact, neither God nor 
Jesus Christ ever wrote one word in the 
bible. 

It was written at various times and places 
by men so ignorant they believed the earth 
was flat and stationary and the sun, moon, 
and stars, revolved around it. John on the 



36 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

Isle of Patmos who was one of the most im- 
portant writers of the bible, thought the 
earth was square. He says he saw four an- 
gels standing on the four corners of the 
earth. This fable is referred to the young- 
est class in geography. 

About 320 years after Christ, Constan- 
tine, the wicked Emperor of Rome, who had 
murdered his wife and children, called a con- 
vention of delegates to collect religious writ- 
ings and form a Bible out of them. This 
convention selected by vote the papers that 
constitutes our Bible. It is claimed that the 
civilization of the world is due to the Bible 
and Christianity. The religious wars and 
religious persecution of heretics that pre- 
vailed during the dark ages for a thousand 
years stand as the darkest blot on the hu- 
man race. Heretics were torn into four 
quarters, some had their tongues torn out, 
and every device of torture was practiced 
by the church. Religious intolerance has 
perpetrated the most villianous of all crimes. 

Socrates was a clairaudiant medium, 
could hear voices every day. He was put to 
death for teaching religious doctrines differ- 



Christ as a Man 37 

ent from what was believed by a majority of 
the people among whom he lived. 

Jesus Christ was a healing medium. He 
was put to death for teaching religious doc- 
trines different from what was believed by a 
majority of the people among whom he lived. 
Joan of Arc was a poor, ignorant peasant 
girl, but inspired by angels she saved her 
king and country, and was then burnt at the 
stake, by the church for being a witch. 
Great numbers of innocent mediums have 
been burnt and hanged by Christians in our 
own country under the charge of witchcraft. 
The spirit of religious intolerance is now 
modified but not extinct. Spiritual medi- 
ums are prosecuted as criminals by sancti- 
fied Christians, some of whom will invoke 
the curse of God on the writer for express- 
ing his honest views. Christians will tell 
you that they have the proof within them- 
selves the gift of the Holy Ghost. Yes, and 
luckily, I have been through that experience 
myself. In infancy I sucked Christianity 
from my mother's breast, and grew up under 
her pious teachings. On her dying bed she 
urged me to turn to Jesus. In due time I 



38 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

was converted, confessed, was baptized by 
immersion, received the Grift of the Holy 
Ghost, was extremely happy, and wanted ev- 
erybody to enjoy the same. I have since 
learned that the Holy Ghost is a magnetic 
power that is generated by a body of people 
intensely engaged in mental effort on spirit- 
ual subjects. This magnetic power can be 
as fully developed in a Sioux Indian Ghost 
dance as in a Methodist camp meeting, and 
is only kept alive by cultivation. Christian 
revivalists understand this matter, and some 
of them are very expert in generating this 
magnetic power. I am glad to have had my 
Christian experience. It is very valuable. 
Now, while the intelligent world will grad- 
ually lose faith in the Jewish Jehovah and 
his religion, the world is not going to do 
without a God and a religion. It has been 
proven by the greatest scientists in the world 
that the soul continues to live after death of 
the body, and under certain conditions can 
and does come back and commune with 
mortal friends. Sir Oliver Lodge, Prof. 
Crooks, and others, after long and persistent 
investigations, announced the above facts. 



Christ as a Man 39 

Many thousands of spiritualists have this 
knowledge to an absolute certainty. I have 
had a wide experience on this line. I have 
as absolute and positive proof of spirit re- 
turn as any astronomer has of the truth of 
his science, or as I have of the existence of 
my wife and children. 

The National Spiritual Association has 
been organized for more than twenty years. 
They have established many churches 
founded on the following propositions: 
Continued existence of the soul after death 
of the body. Spirits can, and under proper 
conditions do, come back and commune with 
friends on earth. All who believe these facts 
are considered spiritualists, no matter what 
they may believe on any other points, and 
they have an unlimited number of shades of 
belief from Bible spiritualists to Infidel 
spiritualists. 

While Christians call the Supreme Power 
God the Spiritualists call it Infinite Intelli- 
gence. This seems rather unhandy. I am 
impressed to call this Power Goddena (God 
of Gods), and this is wliat I call "The Un- 
known God," of whom I will have more to 



40 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

say later on. This will be the substitute for 
the obsolete Jewish Jehovah, who is rapidly 
passing out of date. Spiritualists and other 
liberal churches do not flourish like ortho- 
dox churches, because they have knocked the 
bottom out of orthodox hell, and they are not 
afraid of the devil. The fear of hell does 
more to fill orthodox churches than the love 
of God. But liberal sentiments are bound 
to grow as intelligence increases among the 
people. 

Before giving my experience in Spiritual- 
ism, I will say that it is weighted down with 
many drawbacks. First is imperfect 
means of communication, half fledged me- 
diums, dishonest and immoral mediums, 
pretended mediums, or fortune tellers, who 
have no spiritual gifts at all. Then spirits 
see things from different view-points like 
mortals, hence their statements sometimes 
seem contradictory. Then a weak-minded 
person in earth life don't become wise on en- 
tering Spirit life; then sometimes a mis- 
chievious spirit will slip in on the line and 
amuse himself by fooling credulous mortals. 
Then it is a great mistake made by some 



Christ as a Man 41 

new converts to believe everything that 
purports to come from the spirit world. 
My guide, w T ho is a very bright angel, 
tells me they are not infallible and don't 
know it all. My father tells me there 
are many truths in spiritualism, but 
they are mixed with much that is 
trashy and worthless, but he says: "Save 
the good grains and discard the chaff, but 
don't be led into anything against your own 
judgment, no matter from whence it pur- 
ports to come." Follow my father's advice 
and you will not go wrong. My son, Charles, 
in spirit life, speaking of frauds, said: 
"Papa, if you have a counterfeit dollar, that 
is no reason why you should throw away all 
your good dollars." We have a large num- 
ber of noble mediums of fine character and 
splendid gifts, who are an honor to any 
cause. 

But some of our mediums are vain enough 
to adopt the title of Reverend. This is to be 
regretted. In my opinion no mortal is en- 
titled to that title. The cause of spiritual- 
ism would be promoted by a high standard 
of education. 



42 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

Sample of Chaff. 

Sometime ago I wanted to have a talk with 
my guide on a special subject. I went to 
a clairvoyant medium, told her what I 
wanted. She went into a trance, and instead 
of my guide coming the first to come gave 
the name of Moses. I was much astonished 
at this and inquired what Moses. He as- 
sured me he was the Bible Moses, and pro- 
ceeded to give me a very sensible and logical 
description of the great difference in knowl- 
edge of his time and the present. He found 
no fault with my sentiments, but seemed in- 
clined to apologize for his acts. Then the 
name of Joshua was announced and I had 
a tilt with him about stopping the sun and 
killing every man, woman, and child in thir- 
ty-one kingdoms. He followed the same line 
of explanation and apology that Moses had. 
Then to my further astonishment the name 
of Solomon was announced. Then in a most 
vigorous manner I said " Solomon, is it 
possible you come to me ? Do you know the 
bitter things I have lately written about 
you ?" lie answered, "Yes, and I was look- 
ing over your shoulder while you were writ- 



Sample of Chaff 43 

ing and felt like I ought to be clothed in sack 
cloth and ashes. I was never entitled to the 
credit given me. Your criticism is a help to 
me. ' ? Now, I do not accept these communi- 
cations as genuine, because I cannot verify 
them by any corroborating evidence. But 
I regard them as the chaff alluded to by my 
father in speaking of the good grains of 
spiritualism. But how do I account for this 
manifestation? First, it might have been 
the work of the medium. Second, it may 
have been the work of a mischievous spirit, 
who slipped in on the line for his own amuse- 
ment. 

In view of these facts I advise you to ac- 
cept nothing that purports to come from the 
spirit world, unless it is supported by strong 
proof and your own good judgment. Re- 
member that the spirit of foolish mortals 
goes into the spirit world, the same as the 
spirits of the w T ise, and a blind following of 
their messages may lead you into much ab- 
surdity, but there are enough good grains 
in spiritualism to make it a glorious reality. 

It is important to know that most com- 
munications we receive through mediums 



44 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

partake to a considerable extent of the indi- 
viduality of the medium, just as clear water 
partakes of the color of the colored glass in 
which it is contained. Mediumship is a gift 
of nature, and does not depend on morality 
of the medium any more than does the gift 
of oratory or poetry. 

I once asked my guide why spirits some- 
times used immoral mediums. She said: 
"We are so anxious to reach our earthly 
friends that we use any means that we can 
get to do so." If you were on a desert and 
suffering from thirst and should find a dirty 
bucket with water you would proceed to 
quench your thirst and not wait for the sil- 
ver pitcher. 

But before proceeding any further on this 
line, let us take a little recess. Come with 
me and we will walk out some clear night and 
look on the title page of God's great book of 
nature. We see many thousands of stars, 
which astronomers tell are suns, planets, and 
worlds. But what we see is only an intro- 
duction to what lies beyond. Now I ask the 
most intellectual theologian in the world to 
£0 with me on the wings of thought to get a 



Sample of Cliaff 45 

glimpse of the outlines of the immensity of 
the universe. 

Let us cast our minds off through space to 
the far distant orb Canopus, claimed to be 
the center of the universe, and more than 
two million times larger than our sun, — so 
large that there is not room for it to pass 
between the earth and sun; and so far dis- 
tant that it would take centuries for a ray of 
light to come from there to earth. Then, 
from that central point we find in every 
direction, through space, millions of suns, 
planets and worlds, some of which are larger 
than our earth and many with inhabitants 
like unto ourselves, and each one of the in- 
habited worlds surrounded by a heaven of 
its own just as the earth is. 

Now, let us try to conceive something of 
the sublime power and glory of the Creator 
and Ruler of all this immensity of worlds, 
and see how they compare with the Jewish 
Jehovah. Now, be it known of all men that 
the Supreme Infinite Power that rules all 
things is not in human form, counting the 
hairs on your head and noting the falling of 



46 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

a sparrow to the ground, and turning a wo- 
man into a pillar of salt for looking back at 
the home she was leaving, but it is an ether- 
ial spirit power that permeates every par- 
ticle of the universe, unseen, unknown, and 
apparently unknowable. This is the Su- 
preme God or Goddena, whom I worship. 
Concentrate around this God your highest 
and purest thoughts and adoration, but di- 
rect your prayers to your angel friends. It 
is they who sometimes bring about results 
that you think are providential. I know to 
a certainty that my life has been saved sev- 
eral times by impressions from my guide. 
But so far as I know the Jewish Jehovah 
and the Goddena of whom I have spoken 
are out of the reach of mortals. 

The nearest approach we can make to a 
description of the Supreme Power would be 
that it is a combination of magnetic, electric, 
and spirit forces. I get the impression that 
the time is not distant when some great 
scientific prodigy will appear, who will be 
able to describe the relations of those forces 
in a scientific manner. The late W. J. Col- 
ville had high ffifts in this direction. He 



Conjecture 47 

had more spirit than body, and broke down 
prematurely, but some one will probably 
come who w T ill be able to give us scientific 
facts, upon which to build the highest form 
of religion ever known on earth. One that 
will elevate the human race above the plane 
of war, which the Christian religion has 
failed to do. We should not try to tear down 
or destroy anything good but to work for 
better conditions for humanity, and honor 
and glory of the Supreme Power. 

Conjecture. 

As we approach the great orb Canopus, 
we pass the limit of scientific knowledge and 
are left to conjecture as to the balance. Then 
let us assume that Canopus is the center of 
the universe and consequently the headquar- 
ters of the Supreme Power, Goddena. Then 
compare the vast universe and its grand 
Goddena with the little flat earth and its 
Jewish Jehovah as it was believed to be up 
to 375 years ago, and you will have a big sub- 
ject upon which to exercise your mental fac- 
ulties. I insist that in making Gods we go 



48 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

to the limit and make one worthy of the 
name and who can never be excelled. 

Mighty intellectual giants appeared at 
various periods of time in the past. This is 
especially true in regard to Greece and 
Rome. But their knowledge and belief 
about the earth and astronomy up to the 
time of Copernicus seems extremely silly to 
ordinary school children of to-day. In like 
manner the religious beliefs and systems of 
past ages seem very absurd to a thinking 
man of the present age. 

Religious liberty and progressive thought 
are walking hand in hand and mankind is in- 
clined to judge all things from the stand 
point of common sense and reason. The 
men who made the Bible believed the earth 
was flat and stationary. We don't believe 
that to day. We have no evidence that 
Jesus Christ knew the earth was round. If 
the wisdom of the world failed to discover 
that the earth was round until 375 years ago 
is it not reasonable to believe that man is yet 
unable to form a true conception of the 
form and attributes of the Supreme Power. 



Belief and Knowledge 49 

Belief and Knowledge. 

As said before, Spiritualists believe in a 
Supreme Power, but the exact form and at- 
tributes of that power is unknown. This 
absolute knowledge embraces the following, 
as before stated ; the continued existence of 
the soul after death of the body. The soul 
never goes into the grave, but goes at once 
into the spirit world from whence it can and 
does, under proper conditions, return and 
hold communion with friends in the earth 
life. I have myself received communica- 
tions from the spirit world that are worth 
more to me than would be all the gold that 
ever existed. I learn from them that heaven 
is located in space outside the atmosphere 
surrounding the earth and that conditions 
there are entirely different from what we 
are taught in the bible. That each person 
there has to stand on his own merits just as 
he does in this life. The good enter at once 
into a life of eternal and progressive happi- 
ness which is increased in proportion to the 
amount of good they do to others, while the 
wicked are punished by their remorseless 



50 Goddena: The Unknown God 

conscience until they are sufficiently puri- 
fied to enable them to work upward to the 
ranks of the good. In this manner the black 
sheep of a good pious family will in due time 
be able to join the happy family circle, in- 
stead of being doomed to eternal hell. No 
mortal is eternally barred from the gates of 
heaven. 

I can get no communications from my 
spirit friends in regard to other worlds or 
other heavens. Their knowledge seems to 
be confined to our earth and our heaven. It 
is probable that spirits in the higher spheres 
may have knowledge of the other worlds, or 
rather other heavens. The impressions I 
get about Canopus and the other worlds and 
other heavens come to me by "Thought 
Waves/' and from whence they come I can- 
not tell. I do not claim they are scientific 
facts, because I cannot verify them, but the 
impressions come very strong. And some 
astronomers say they have discovered that 
new worlds are now in the process of forma- 
tion. Our earth is a great wonder, but it is 
but a little speck in comparison with the im- 
mense universe. 



Losing Faith 51 

Losing Faith in My Mother's Religion. 

I remained steadfast in my mother's re- 
ligion until about thirty-three years old. 
Then while living alone in my log cabin in 
the mountains of Tuolumne County, Cali- 
fornia, surrounded by the sublime granduer 
of nature's work, the impressions began to 
come to my mind that the religion of the 
bible was not broad enough to meet the re- 
quirements of the human soul. When that 
thought got fairly started there was no stop 
in its development. For five years the con- 
test in my mind was strong and bitter. Dur- 
ing this time I was busily employed in farm 
labor. I met no Infidels or Spiritualists, nor 
read any of that kind of literature, but I im- 
bibed from "Thought Waves" conclusions 
that I afterwards learned were almost iden- 
tical with the Spiritual religion. But it was 
twenty years before I met any Spiritualists. 
I was then much surprised to find that my 
belief was so near theirs. My contact with 
Spiritualists seemed to be accidental, but it 
soon excited my interest and I followed the 
investigation with great earnestness. Since 



52 Goddena: Hie Unknown God 

then I have traveled much and had fine 
opportunities to test the realities of Spirit- 
ualism. 

My first experience in that line was in San 
Francisco in 1887. Since then I have held 
converse with friends on the other side of 
life through trance, clairvoyant, claurident, 
trumpet, materilizing, etherializing and oth- 
er phases of mediumship. My experience 
in that line has been wonderful. In 1908 I 
published my book, "Life and Times of S. 
H. West." In that book is an appendix on 
Spiritualism, in which I give some of my ex- 
periences in Spiritual phenomena, some of 
which I will insert in this booklet. 

Pictures. 

In this booklet I insert my photograph, 
taken on my ninetieth birthday, and pho- 
tographs of spirit portraits of my guide 
Pansy, whose earth name was Zelda, and al- 
so the spirit picture of Abraham Lincoln, 
who is a close friend of my guide, and my ad- 
visor and frequent visitor. These spirit 
pictures were taken in broad day light with- 
out the touch of mortal hand, pencil, or 



Pictures 53 

brush. I have a standing offer of $1000 for 
a duplicate of either one taken in like man- 
ner, by mortal man. Before publishing my 
book, "Life and Times of S. H .West," I ob- 
tained Mr. Lincoln's consent to insert his 
picture in it. I asked my guide for permis- 
sion to insert her picture. She declined, say- 
ing she did not care to have her picture 
hawked about. She now consents to have it 
placed in this booklet. But you should know 
that it is impossible to get a picture of spir- 
its just as they are in spirit life. There they 
are in etherial form which cannot be cor- 
rectly pictured. They can only give their 
picture by building up and assuming a mor- 
tal body for that temporary purpose. Bible 
pictures show angels with wings. This 
shows the utter ignorance of bible makers 
on that subject. Angels have no more use 
for wings than mortals have. Wings would 
be very much in their way. They can ap- 
parently travel with almost the velocity of 
thought, without wings. I have seen hun- 
dreds of materialized spirits, and about half 
a dozen etherialized spirits. I have two fine 
pictures of my guide. They are the work of 



54 Goddena: The Unknown God 

different spirits and do not look alike. I 
have also had taken many pictures of myself 
for sixty-five years and no two of them look 
alike. Mr. Lincoln and my guide are well 
pleased with their pictures. 

God's Road to Heaven". 

1. A full belief in the Jewish Jehovah. 

2. A full belief in the Immaculate Con- 
ception and divinity of Jesus Christ. 

3. A full belief in the efficacy of the 
blood of Christ to atone for the sins of man. 

4. He that believeth shall be saved. 

5. He that believeth not shall be damned. 

6. Unless you hate your father and 
mother, wife and children, you can not be a 
follower of Christ. 

7. Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire, 
prepared for the devil and his angels. 

8. On the resurrection morn all shall be 
brought forth from the grave and appear be- 
fore the Judge on the great white throne and 
be judged for the deeds done in the body. 
The good to pass into heaven, and the wicked 
into hell. 



Judgment Day 55 

Goddena's Road to Heaven. 
The Judgment Day. 

1. The mortal body is a material sub- 
stance, while the spirit is etherial. 

2. Death ends the union between them. 

3. After that the spirit can have no pos- 
sible use for the body, which goes into decay. 

4. The soul does not go into the grave, 
but at death goes at once into the spirit 
world, and the judgment day begins there 
and then. But you will find no great Judge 
there to judge you, but you will be compelled 
to judge yourself and do it correctly. There 
can be no escape from this. 

5. Your conscience will sit in judgment 
upon you. Every act and deed done in the 
body will come clearly before you. The good 
will then pass into progressive and eternal 
happiness, while the wicked and vicious ones 
will be punished by their remorseless con- 
science until they make full atonement for 
all their sins. Then they will be helped by 
kind angels on the upward pathway that 
leads to increasing happiness through all 
the ages of an endless eternity. Do not fear 



56 Goddena: The Unknown God 

God. It is your own acts alone you have to 
fear. 

6. Teach these great truths to your chil- 
dren and your friends. 

7. If the people of earth could but know 
and fully realize them they would produce 
such a revolution in the morals and conduct 
of mankind as the world never saw. 

The above is an epitome of messages re- 
ceived for twenty-five years from the spirit 
world. This tells the whole story in a nut 
shell. It can be easily understood by all. It 
is just, reasonable, and humane. I boldly pit 
it against the theology of all the ages. Add 
to this message the fact that spirits of our 
departed friends can and do return and com- 
mune with mortals and you have a basis for 
a religion superior to any hitherto taught. 

A Beautiful Road to Heaven. 

via west's precepts. 

program for every pay. 

Love and thank the Supreme Power. 
Control your temper. 
Try to keep cheerful. 



Road to Heaven 57 

Do all the good you can. 

Be honest, truthful, and temperate. 

Help the poor, needy, and sick. 

Encourage the weak and timid. 

Make a specialty of trying to add to the 
happiness of someone today — and all other 
days. 

Cultivate love, peace, and harmony; life 
is too short and time too valuable to waste 
in angry strife. 

Be slow to believe evil reports about your 
neighbors. 

Be diligent in searching for something 
good to say about others, and when you find 
it don't wait until they are dead, but say it 
at once. 

When you find a person on the down grade 
or in the gutter, don't kick him, but help 
him by kind words and acts to strive for bet- 
ter conditions. 

Try to scatter rays of sunshine and happi- 
ness along your pathway wherever you may 
be. 

Do good today — you may not be here to- 
morrow. 

S. H. West. 



58 Goddena: The Unknown God 

My father in spirit life says if a per- 
son will practice these precepts he will have 
all the religion he will ever need. 

A Short Road to Heaven. 

But the shortest, surest, and easiest road 
to heaven may be described as follows : 

1. Be strictly honest. 

2. Do all the good you can to others. 
If you will strictly follow these two little 

rules, no power on earth or elsewhere can 
keep you out of heaven, no matter what you 
may believe, whether you believe in one God, 
four Gods, or no God at all. Your acts alone 
fixes your standing on earth and in heaven. 
This is the golden paved road with easy 
grades and bordered all along with lovely 
flowers, and enlivened by sweet singing 
birds. This road is so plain it can be easily 
understood by a child. Its simplicity is 
sublime. Here are four roads leading di- 
rect to heaven, accessible to all. Then why 
worry about matters of belief. 

Spiritualism. 

As the continued existence of the soul af- 
ter death of the body has been scientifically 



Spiritualism 59 

proven by the ablest scientists in the world, 
it follows as a matter of course that the soul 
of every human being who ever lived is 
somewhere. It is very important to know 
where they are. Theology don't seem to be 
able to definitely tell. The opinions and 
knowledge on this subject are hazy. Some 
believe that all dead are sleeping in the 
grave and will arise on the resurrection 
morn. Some believe the good are in heaven 
and the bad are in hell. It is not difficult to 
conceive the idea that this vast host is able 
to wield a mighty influence on the affairs of 
the world. Many spiritualists believe that 
when we hang a murderer we do not get rid 
of him, but his soul goes into spirit life in a 
condition of bitterness toward his enemies, 
and from his spirit home influences or in- 
spires certain congenial persons on earth to 
criminal acts. I believe that many wicked 
acts are caused by obsession by wicked 
spirits. 

Special psychological conditions existing 
on earth at times enables wicked spirits to 
work great disasters. As witness the 
world's war now raging. Spirit manifesta- 



60 Goddena: The Unknown God 

tions are as old as history. There are peri- 
ods of time when the conditions surrounding 
the earth are more favorable for those man- 
ifestations that at other times. Socrates was 
a clairaudent medium, and could hear spirit 
voices. The bible is full of spirit manifes- 
tations. The woman of Endor is a striking 
case. If you take all spirit manifestations 
out of the bible, there would be but little left. 
But part of that is fiction. Such as the ac- 
count of the angels visiting Lot and staying 
all night with him and eating supper and 
breakfast. Angels have no need for earthly 
food, and they can only remain a short time. 
Then there are other long periods of time 
when the line of spirit communications are 
so much impaired that they fail to connect. 
But the power is not extinct, but finds an out- 
let in what we call fortune-telling. Some 
fortune-tellers can tell you of earth affairs 
as accurately as good mediums can, but they 
can tell nothing pertaining to spirit life. It 
was this class of people who were called 
witches, hundreds of whom were put to 
death in our own country through religious 
intolerance. 



Modern Spiritualism 61 

The first fortune-teller I ever knew had a 
wonderful gift in clairvoyance and as a heal- 
er, but she had no knowledge of Spiritual- 
ism. That was before I knew anything 
about spirit return. Under proper condi- 
tions she would have made a wonderful me- 
dium. I have met with some fortune-tellers 
who advertise and pose as mediums. All 
such are frauds and should be punished. 
They can be easily detected by persons ac- 
quainted with such things by their style of 
advertising. They advertise i ' reduced rates 
for next week only, tell you who you will 
marry, etc." Every one of this class of 
frauds should be sent to jail. They bring 
much odium to the cause of Spiritualism. 

Modern" Spiritualism. 

After a long lapse in spiritual manifesta- 
tion, the connecting links were united in 
1848 and since then the gates of heaven have 
swung gently open to the touch of angel fin- 
gers, who, under favorable conditions, hold 
sweet communion with mortal friends. 



62 Goddena: TJie Unknown God 

Location of Heaven and Hell. 

As before stated, my boy Charles, in spirit 
life tells me that heaven is located in space 
outside of the atmosphere surrounding the 
earth. I am impressed by my guides to say 
that the spiritual hell has the same kind of 
location, and that it is filled with the spirits 
of all the wicked who have lived on earth, 
and they have an immense majority over the 
angels in heaven, and the peculiar psychol- 
ogical conditions now enshrouding the earth 
enables the vast hosts of evil spirits to obsess 
the inhabitants of earth with the infernal 
spirit of war, which is now raging with such 
brutal cruelty and which threatens our civi- 
lization. The consolidated hosts of spiritual 
hell led on by such lovers of war as Moses, 
Joshua, Xerxes, Alexander the Great, Han- 
nibal, and Napoleon are having a high festi- 
val. It appears that the beastly spirit of war 
will have to run its course until the warring 
nations exhaust their strength and become 
more purified by their great sufferings. 

We are now confronted by a condition 
that is plainly manifested to all. It is use- 
less to depend on the Jewish Jehovah to get 



Phenomena 63 

us out of our trouble. I admonish and urge 
all to keep in sight of the short-cut road to 
heaven, as indicated above. If we will all 
practice traveling on that road we will soon 
establish a heaven on earth, and send enough 
recruits to heaven to out balance the hosts of 
hell. 

Results of the War. 

If we do not lose our civilization in the 
present war, it will be followed by a great 
revolution in the religious sentiment of the 
world. As long as the people believe that the 
Supreme Power of the Universe approved 
of the wars waged by Moses and Joshua we 
may expect wars to continue among the na- 
tions. Friends of humanity must unite in 
trying to establish a higher form of religion 
and a higher conception of the Supreme 
Power than has ever prevailed on earth. 

Let our motto be, i i Climb up higher — and 
yet higher. ' ' 

Phenomena. 

In February, 1890, I lodged for a time in 
the house of Mrs. A. Rush, of 123 Bunker 
Hill avenue, Los Angeles, California. She 



64 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

was an honest, old-fashioned woman, and a 
very strong medium, so strong that she could 
not talk with me for ten minutes on any sub- 
ject without going under control. Some- 
times by her own guides, and sometimes the 
control of my spirit friends. These commu- 
nications being spontaneous, were free, 
without money and without price, and val- 
ued by me more on that account. After be- 
ing there ten days I wrote, from memory, a 
synopsis of the most important messages I 
had received through her. Many of them 
were in answer to questions from me. Her 
controls were the spirits of a Dr. Clark, 
Preacher Patton, a German named Smelzer, 
and others. 

My first question was to Dr. Clark : " Why 
do our spirit friends sometimes material- 
ize in forms different from those they had in 
this lifer' 

Answer : It is difficult to appear in a ma- 
terialized form. It is hard to form the body 
for that purpose; therefore, we sometimes 
use the same body that has been used by 
some other spirit. It is easier to do so than 
to form a new one to represent the exact 



Plienomena 65 

form of the body on earth, just as it is easier 
to occupy an empty house, already built, 
than to build a new one. We cannot do very 
much in a materialized form at best. I 
never feel easy in that form. I feel like I am 
in a shell that does not fit me, and find it dif- 
ficult to articulate or speak. About all we 
expect to accomplish in the form is to set 
people to thinking and investigating these 
things. Many people in earth life are so bi- 
goted in their opinions that they wrap them- 
selves up in their belief, like a silk worm in 
its shell, until they shut out all light and can 
see nothing. Such people, when they come 
into spirit life, are very difficult to get un- 
raveled and straightened out, so they can 
make any progress here. It is mainly for 
the purpose of setting such people to think- 
ing and investigating in the earth life that 
w T e sometimes appear in a materilized form. 
When we can start people in this direction 
it makes it much easier for us to help them 
when they reach the spirit life. But it is 
much easier to talk through a medium, as I 
am now doing, than to come in a material- 
ized form. 



66 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

This answer was of great importance to 
me, because sometime previous to that time 
my father came to me in materialized form 
as natural life, and after talking a short time 
he disappeared ; then in a few moments, the 
same body came again and gave the name of 
brother John. Not understanding how this 
could be I was disgusted and thought it was 
a humbug. 

Second question: "Can spirits be happy 
while seeing so much ignorance and mis- 
ery?" 

Answer: When your child is very sick 
you do all you can for it. You think no trou- 
ble is too great that may be necessary to re- 
lieve it, and when you see it is on the road to 
health your joy is ample compensation for 
all the trouble and care you have had to be- 
stow on it. It is just so in the spirit life. 
Our joy is caring for and assisting others, 
who need our help, and our happiness in 
knowing they are in the line of progression 
to a higher state is ample compensation for 
all our anxiety for them. 

Third question : "What are the marriage 
relations in spirit life of those who have been 
married several times in earth life?" 



Phenomena 67 

Answer: No mistakes are made in the 
spirit world. If a man and wife have been 
properly mated in the earth life the union 
will be continued in the spirit life. But, if 
a couple have been mismated in the earth 
life, the mistake will be corrected in the spir- 
it life. They will not be reunited over there, 
but each will find their own proper mate. 
All are mated in the spirit life. It takes two 
halves to make a whole. When a man or wo- 
man has been married several times they 
cannot, when they reach spirit life, love two 
of their earthmates equally well, but will 
mate with the one for whom he or she has 
the most affinity. There can be no jealousy 
or envy there, but all will fully realize and 
recognize the fitness of the unions in the 
spirit world. 

Fourth question: "Do persons who have 
lost their mental faculties in this life carry 
that condition with them to the spirit 
world?" 

Answer : If you should receive a blow up- 
on your head that would impair or destroy 
your mental faculties, it would be the result 
of a damage to your physical body, and when 



68 Goddena: The Unknown God 

you throw off that body in death, you are 
freed from its defects and conditions, and 
enter the spirit life with all your mental 
faculties unimpaired. In consequence of the 
violations of the laws of nature many are 
born as idiots. This results from malforma- 
tion. In many cases the brain is partly in- 
verted or put in sideways. The skull is gen- 
erally shaped in such manner as to prevent 
the development of the brain and the spirit 
is unable to change the shape of the skull 
and consequently the person has to go 
through life as an idiot ; but when they get to 
the spirit world they are taken in charge by 
proper instructors and are placed in a de- 
partment prepared for them and are gradu- 
ally developed into intelligent beings, and 
like all other persons, placed in the line of 
eternal progression. 

Fifth question: "Why do spirits some- 
times use mediums who are not honest or are 
otherwise disreputable?" 

Answer: Because we cannot always get 
enough of the right kind of materials. Then 
it is often the case that disparaging reports 
about mediums are not true. There is a good 



Phenomena 69 

deal of envy among some mediums. Some 
are vain and want to be considered as super- 
ior to all others, and consequently help to cir- 
culate bad reports about other mediums. 
Then there are, in spirit life, many vain and 
foolish persons, just as there are on earth. 
This class of spirits communicate freely 
with mediums who are vain and ambitious 
to excell all others, simply for their own per- 
sonal glory and without regard to the wel- 
fare of mankind. If you have a piece of 
work to do it is a very easy matter to find a 
dozen men who can tell you all about how it 
ought to be done, better than you can your- 
self, but if they are put to the test you find 
they know nothing about it. "We have that 
class of people in the spirit world, and there 
is no way to prevent them from communi- 
cating through mediums who are like unto 
themselves. Then, again, you should know 
that the mediumistic power is separated and 
distinct from the individual. That power is 
like a bridge used to cross a stream. The 
bridge is not the stream, but simply the ma- 
chinery used to connect one shore with the 
other. We use a medium as a bridge over 



70 Goddena: The Unknown God 

which we communicate with persons in the 
earth life. The imperfections of the indi- 
vidual possessing mediumistic powers do not 
necessarily impair the truthfulness or merit 
of communications sent through that medi- 
um. If you cross a bridge in safety you have 
certainly accomplished your purpose to go 
to the other shore, though there may be some 
defective materials in the bridge. 

Message From Rev. Patton. 

My name is Patton. I was, while in earth 
life, a preacher of the gospel. I believed 
that God delighted in punishing the wicked 
with everlasting punishment, and preached 
that doctrine in all sincerity. I knew no bet- 
ter, but when I got into the spirit world I 
found everything very different from what 
I had believed and preached. I found that I 
had to take my place with all others and 
work my way up, as all have to do in the 
spirit world. There is no hell, such as is 
taught on earth. The only hell is that caused 
by one's own acts. This is all you have to 
fear. I was born in Ohio, lived in New 
York, and died in Missouri. 



Messages 71 

Message From Dr. Clark. 

Mankind shows less wisdom in regard to 
their own race than the common animals do. 
They certainly show less care in proper mat- 
ing for themselves than they do for their an- 
imals. Why, the farmers give more atten- 
tion to the proper breeding of their hogs 
than to the proper selection of their own 
mates. And what a poor, scrubby breed of 
hogs there would be if there was no more 
care taken with them than with the human 
race. Take a female whose waist is laced 
into a small form — her organs are squeezed 
out of position. Imagine this woman mar- 
ried to a coarse, brutal drunkard, as is often 
the case. What can you expect but that 
the children of such a union will be of frail 
and diseased bodies, distorted and vicious 
dispositions and impaired intellect. These 
evils can be remedied, some by laws that will 
compel the teaching in all of our schools of 
the great laws governing the human body — 
that most wonderful piece of machinery in 
the universe. Teach all children and grown 
people to obey these laws, and the terrible 



72 Goddena: The Unknown God 

penalties resulting from their violation, and 
it will result in the improvement of the race. 

First Interview With My Guide. 

At a private materializing seance in San 
Francisco, California, on March 13, 1890, 
from 10 to 11 o'clock a. m. No one was pres- 
ent but the medium and myself. Fifteen 
different forms appeared, among whom 
were two who claimed to be my parents. 
My father looked as natural as he ever did 
in the later years of his life. I embraced 
him in my arms, and was moved to tears 
when he said, "Don't weep for us, my son, 
for we are happy. " While I was talking to 
my parents my niece, Lizzie Deffenbaugh, 
came and placed her hand on my arm. She 
looked very happy, but did not speak, and 
she faded away as my parents withdrew. 
Then five Indians came to me in a body. 
They shook hands with me. They gave the 
name of Pocahontas, Tecumseh, Powonto, 
Crooked Finger and Fleetfoot. Pocahon- 
tas made a graceful and beautiful appear- 
ance. Tecumseh and Powonto were short, 
thick-set men. Crooked Finger's middle 




PANSY 
Whose Earthly Name Was ZELDA 



First Interview 73 

finger on his right hand was bent on a square 
angle, and was stiff as a stick. Fleetf oot was 
a fine athletic fellow. He told me he was a 
Pottawattomie Indian, and used to live not 
far from my home. Powonto stepped be- 
hind me in a frisky manner, and placing his 
hands on my sides, he lifted me off the floor 
as easily as if I had been a sack of feathers. 
Towards the close of the seance there came 
a beautiful female spirit, clad in illuminated 
raiment. She shook hands with me, gave 
the name of Pansy, sat on a sofa with me for 
several minutes, saying she was a Greek 
maiden, and lived long ago — a thousand 
years ; yes, two thousand years, and had been 
my guide ever since my birth ; would go with 
me through life, and at death escort me to 
my spirit home. Then she retired, but in a 
few minutes I saw a small, vapory-looking 
substance just below the ceiling. It was in 
motion, and gradually descended and rap- 
idly unfolded until it struck the floor in 
front of me, when it was fully developed in- 
to the beautiful maiden. I arose, and she 
placed her hand upon my shoulder and 
talked to me in an angelic strain. This was 



74 Goddena: The Unknown God 

the first time I ever heard of her. Since 
then I have seen and talked to her many 
times in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los 
Angeles, California; Houston, Texas; Chi- 
cago, Bloomington, and Farmer City, Illi- 
nois, and have talked with her many times 
through trance, clairvoyant, and trumpet 
mediums in my own house. In fact, I am 
now, after twenty-seven years, nearly as well 
acquainted with her as I am with my own 
family. She was born and raised in Athens, 
Greece, and died 429 B. C, in the days of 
Pericles and Cleon. She once told me that 
Cleon was a friend of her family and often 
•took shelter in her father's house. At 
another time she told me she had often been 
in the Parthenon, which was said to have 
been the finest building ever erected by man. 
She told me that in descending from that 
building to the foot of the hill you come to a 
narrow street leading into the city, and upon 
that street are some of the fragments of the 
ruins of the little temple she used to attend. 
She talks of the past, present, and future, 
and gives tests that no mortal can give. 
Since I became acquainted with her she has 



Message from Indian Spirit 75 

saved my life three times, and been of great 
benefit to me in many ways. On the 13th 
of July, 1890, I attended a materializing 
seance in Chicago. The first form that ap- 
peared was that of Dr. A. T. Darrah, who 
gave me excellent tests. Next came my 
niece, Lizzie Deffenbaugh, who talked to me 
pleasantly for some time. Near the close of 
the seance, Pansy, the beautiful spirit I saw 
in San Francisco just four months before, 
appeared in very plain attire. The first 
thing she said was, "You thought I was not 
coming, but I wanted to wait until the last. " 
Then we had a fine talk about our meeting 
in San Francisco, and she discussed with 
me the qualities of the cabinet spirits at that 
seance, and mentioned one as being too 
rough. 

Message From Indian Spirit. 

Some twenty-eight years ago, at a private 
reading with a trance medium in San Fran- 
cisco, the spirit of an Indian came, and gave 
his name as "Fleetfoot," and said he was a 
Pottowattamie Indian, and used to live not 
far from my home. He then told me of a dis- 



76 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

ease in my wife's throat — said it was not 
dangerous yet, but it was inclined to work 
down, and needed close and careful atten- 
tion, and if not soon attended to would 
cause serious trouble. I had never heard my 
wife complain of her throat and thought 
Fleetf oot was badly mistaken. When I re- 
turned home, I did not tell my wife any- 
thing about what the Indian had said about 
her throat, for fear it might cause her some 
uneasiness. 

A few weeks afterward, my wife and I 
drove over to the village of Arrowsmith, and 
on the way home she told me she had called 
in to see the doctor. I asked her why she 
wanted to see him. She said she wanted to 
see him about her throat. "Why, what is 
the matter with her throat?" I asked. She 
then described the case precisely as Fleet- 
foot had done months before. I asked why 
she had not told me before. She said she did 
not want to be complaining about every 
little ailment. 

Her throat has never been entirely well 
since. Under skillful treatment, it gets bet- 
ter at times. Sometimes it has been in a dan- 



Message from Indian Spirit 77 

gerous condition. There is no prospect that 
it will ever be well. 

There was no earthly means by which 
Fleetfoot or the medium could have known 
anything about my wife, who was 2500 miles 
away. My home was about two miles from 
the site of the old Kickapoo Indian Fort and 
town in McLean county, Illinois. 

It is said that the Kickapoos and Potto- 
wattamies lived together for a time. 

If the above communication was not from 
the spirit side of life, then from whence did 
it come ? 

On January 13, 1891, 1 had a reading with 
a clairvoyant medium in Chicago. I called 
for Pansy, who came and gave me a long and 
most interesting talk, manifesting a full ac- 
quaintance with my affairs, and promising 
me many good things for the future. This 
medium described Pansy very minutely; 
speaking of her Greek appearance, and that 
I had never seen her in life, and that she was 
the most beautiful being she ever saw and 
was surrounded with a great band of angels, 
who were looking on her with wonder at her 



78 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

telegraphic power of communicating with 
the people of earth. 

At Los Angeles, California, on the 17th 
of February, 1891, my wife and I had a read- 
ing with an excellent test medium. We re- 
ceived very fine messages from friends in 
spirit life. Near the close of the seance I 
asked Pansy if she had any further direc- 
tions to give me. She answered, " There are 
going to be very heavy rains in this country. 
Keep out of all low places, and don't go 
home until the weather gets settled in the 
spring. ' ' There had been but very little rain 
there up to that time, and farmers were suf- 
fering for moisture. In a few days thereaf- 
ter the fountains of heaven seemed to break 
loose, and the deluge came, wrecking rail- 
roads, bridges and highways. The railroad 
through Temecula Canyon was so badly de- 
stroyed for twenty miles that it has never 
been rebuilt. The town of Yuma and others 
were nearly destroyed. No mails or passen- 
gers went into or out of Los Angeles for 
twelve days, and the overflow of the Colo- 
rado River formed the Salton Sea on the 
great Colorado desert. We had intended re- 



Messages 79 

turning home on the first of April, but were 
detained by my sickness, so we did not ar- 
rive until the 16th of the month. We then 
learned that on and about the first of April 
was the worst weather of the winter. 

The above tests by Pansy are simply be- 
yond human explanation. They are in har- 
mony with the many other beautiful things 
I have received from her. 

In March, 1891, in San Francisco, my wif e 
and I received through a slate writing me- 
dium the following slate- written message: 

My Dear Loved Ones: From my far 
home in spirit world I come to you with my 
heart full of love. I am with you in your 
great desire to do good. Whatever you shall 
impart to others shall be measured ten fold 
to you. I will come and give more as I get 
accustomed to the magnetism of this medi- 
um. I wish you could arrange for a private 
seance. We could do better. Lovingly, 

Emma Spencer. 

In earth life Emma Spencer and my wife 
had been intimate friends, and members of 
the same church. 



80 Goddena: The Unknown God 

At the same sitting referred to above, I 
received the following slate-writing through 
this medium from Pansy : 

My Bear Lo red Friend ; I was very happy 
to show my face through this medium. 
I am with the little spirit artist, Rose Bud, 
gathering forces to produce my picture on 
the slate for you. In another sitting I would 
love to bring to you the message you are so 
anxious to receive, but climatic conditions 
are unfavorable today. With best love to 
you both, I bless you. 

Your Loving Guide. 

Instead of signing her name Pansy, there 
was a beautiful picture of a pansy flower 
where the name should be. Some days after 
receiving the foregoing message, my wife 
received, through the same medium, the fol- 
lowing slate-writing: 

My Dear Friend Martini: Oh, what a 
pleasure this is to me to be permitted to see 
you face to face, and I want you to carry my 
sweetest love back with you to those dear 
ones who are bound to me by kindred ties. 



Messages 81 

Tell them that my home-ties and home-loves 
grow stronger each day here and my heart 
goes out lovingly to them all. My dear 
friend, I come to scatter sunbeams in your 
pathway. I have your little darling with me 
in spirit world. I am loving and caring for 
him, and in all the spirit world there is not 
a more beautiful little angel than sweet lit- 
tle Parker. My home is amid everlasting 
joys of flower-covered vales and silver 
threaded streams, wandering adown sweet- 
scented slopes, and the air is made musical 
with the sweet voices of happy children at 
play. The great joy of my life is to know 
that the gate between the two worlds swings 
gently to the touch of angel fingers, and we 
can come back to earth and lead our loved 
ones heavenward. Dear friend, I am often 
with you. I gaze upon you in the lonely 
hours of the night, and mark each sigh that 
stirs thy sleeping breast, and I try to illume 
the shadows that may linger in thy earthly 
pathway. Goodbye. 

Your loving friend, 

Emma Spencer. 



82 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

At this meeting Pansy, Emma Spencer, 
and many others materialized and talked 
with us face to face. The little Parker re- 
ferred to by Emma Spencer was our dear 
boy who died in infancy. 

At the same date and place the following 
slate- writings were received. 

My Dear Children: The garden of mem- 
ory is ever fresh and green with us in the 
land of spirit. We are always glad to min- 
gle our thoughts with our loved ones who are 
still of earth. We rejoice that we can re- 
turn and make our presence known to our 
dear friends and assure them that the grave 
does not end all, but we live in a world that 
is fairer than earth. Nothing dies, only 
changes, and that change unfolds the capa- 
bilities of the human spirit, and it goes on 
and on in the grandeur of its unfoldment 
through all eternity. It is impossible to pic- 
ture to your mind, my son, with any lan- 
guage familiar to mortals the glories of the 
future life. We are watching over your life 
and guiding your footsteps into pathways 
that are most perfect. Always try to do and 



Messages 83 

live right, and God will bless you with a 
crown of life above. We are alwavs near 
to cheer and encourage you. Many loved 
ones are here. With love to you both, my 
children, 

Lovingly your father and mother, 

Henry and Mary West. 

At the same seance I received the follow- 
ing slate writing: 

My Dear Brother: We are all gathered 
around you today in joyous greeting. We 
are always happy in coming earthward with 
words of cheer to those who are still jour- 
neying upon the plains of earth life. We 
are often with you, and when you sit medi- 
tating over the past and thinking of the 
loved ones who have passed from your visi- 
ble sight, we draw near and caress you on 
cheek and brow. We are watching to wel- 
come you to our beautiful home above, where 
old age and sickness is unknown. Link by 
link, we are gathering our loved ones home 
and when the chain of our family circle is 
complete in the world of spirit, O how happy 



84 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

we will be ! I will come to you again and try 
to give you a description of our spirit home. 
Goodbye. Your spirit brother, 

John West. 

At the same seance I received the follow- 
ing slate-writing: 

Dear Friend: The chain of love is not 
broken by the change called death, but lives 
and grows stronger as time rolls on, and we 
bring you greetings from our home so fair 
and bright, all flooded with eternal light 
where love reigns supreme, all hearts over- 
flow with joy and peace, earth cannot know. 
Xo weary feet or tear-dimmed eyes are 
found in all our paradise. But joyous, 
bright, unfettered, free, the soul hath per- 
fect liberty. 

From your spirit friends, 

Dr. A. T. Darrah, 

D. B. GlLHAM, 

L. D. Whiting. 
Senators D. B. Gilham and L. D. Whiting 
were my most intimate friends when I was 
a member of the Illinois legislature. Dr. A. 



Messages 85 

T. Darrah was a good friend in earth life 
and also in spirit life. The medium through 
whom the above slate-writings were ob- 
tained was a stranger to my wife and myself. 
She had no knowledge of us or of the writers 
of the messages. To obtain a message I 
would write a question on a slip of paper 
addressed to a spirit friend ; place the slip 
between two slates, place a band around the 
slates, then put the slates in a cabinet and 
remain in the room with the medium for 
some minutes; then examine the slates and 
find the writing. The handwriting of each 
message was different from all others. This 
all occurred in broad daylight. 

At a reading with a clairvoyant medium 
in Chicago on the 8th of December, 1891, 
Pansy came and gave me an interesting talk 
of about half an hour. She then requested 
me to come back next day and said we could 
then have a much better meeting, and told 
me she would bring my little boy next day. 
I told her I did not like to come unless she 
was willing for me to pay the medium for the 
second sitting, as she would not allow the 
medium to take any pay for the last reading. 



86 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

She answered that I could pay the medium 
whatever I thought was right. I returned 
next morning at 9 o'clock and, much to my 
surprise, my little boy was the first one an- 
nounced as being present. He commenced 
by giving a correct account of his sickness 
and death, showing that his disease was in 
his throat, and was very severe and brief, 
choking him to death in a very short time. 
He then expressed great solicitude about my 
health, and sent some dear messages to his 
mother, and especially enjoining upon her 
the necessity of her ceasing to labor so hard. 
After a very fine talk he retired. This boy 
died with membraneous croup. 

My father came next and talked freely, 
plainly and finely. He gave me much good 
advice, telling me that I had a beautiful 
home and fine farm ; that if I was living in 
some good village where I could have more 
company it would be better for me, but the 
danger of evil influences of town life on my 
little boys would more than overbalance the 
benefit to myself, and that I must not sell 
my farm. He then said, "Don't sell any of 
your farms; keep your land for your main 



Messages 87 

dependence." He talked at length about 
business and other affairs. I then asked him 
about his marriage relations in spirit life, 
as he had been married twice, and always 
seemed to be with my mother, his first wife, 
when in communication with me. (His sec- 
ond wife died before he did.) He answered 
that when his second wife came to the spirit 
world her people met her and took her with 
them, and when he came my mother claimed 
him, and as there was more affinity between 
them than there was with the second wife, 
he was with my mother, but he added, "The 
second wife is all right." 

After my little boy and my father finished 
and bid me goodbye, Pfinsy came ?>ud gave 
me, as she always does, a grand talk. She 
expressed much concern about my health the 
coming winter, and urged me to take great 
care of myself as there was danger of my 
having serious sickness soon, and said they 
didn't want me over there yet; that there 
was much for me to do on earth, both for my 
family and in other lines. She made a re- 
mark in regard to business. I then told her 
I had always avoided talking about business 



88 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

affairs to her, as I supposed such subjects 
would be distasteful to her. She replied that 
she would talk to me on any subject. She 
talks with much wisdom and purity, and 
seems anxious that I shall not do anything 
in regard to my belief that will bring me into 
ridicule and damage my influence. Alto- 
gether the reading lasted for full two hours 
and was of great interest. The medium 
knew nothing of me, or my people, nor my 
affairs. The intelligencies that talked 
through her made no mistake in reference to 
myself and my affairs. 

On the evening of October 15, 1893, I at- 
tended a materializing seance in Chicago. 
Several of my friends, in spirit life, came 
and talked to me; last of whom was my 
guide, Pansy. I asked her if I would go to 
Mr. Campbell, the spirit artist, could she 
give me her picture. She said she didn't 
know that she could, but that she would give 
me a bunch of pansies anyway. Next day I 
went to see Campbell. He said he would not 
promise me anything. Didn 't know whether 
he could get anything or not. Sometimes 
he got good results, and sometimes he got 



Messages 89 

nothing, and said the work was done by 
power beyond his control. I told him I knew 
I would get something, and knew what it 
would be, but would not tell him. He took 
two slates, washed them well, and gave them 
to me to wipe, after which he placed a piece 
of clean porcelain between the slates, then 
put two stout rubber bands around the slates 
and leaving the slates in my hands all the 
time, Mr. Campbell then walked the floor for 
ten or twelve minutes, telling me of what he 
saw, which I recognized as my guide. He 
then told me to open the slates and see what 
I had. Upon doing so, I found a beautiful 
bunch of pansies painted in oil on the porce- 
lain plate, and one side was covered with 
writing, and on the other slate was the dim 
outlines of the face and bust of my guide^ 
and also of an Indian, whom I learned, in a 
very singular manner a few days afterward, 
was a Shawnee Indian, who gave the name 
of Fast Dog. 

A few nights after obtaining the picture 
of pansies I again attended a materializing 
seance. My guide, Pansy, came in fine form 
and talked with me, and spoke at once in the 



90 Goddena: TJie Unknown God 

most joyous manner of the picture of pan- 
sies, and requested me to keep it always. It 
required several weeks' time to dry the oil 
of which this picture was made. 

At a dark circle in San Francisco on the 
night of March 4, 1894, the spirit of my 
brother, John, came and told me of a serious 
difficulty I had recently had with some men 
in Texas, saying the treatment I received 
was the greatest outrage he ever saw, and 
that he was so indignant that he felt he could 
almost burst the bonds of the spirit world, 
and that he and other spirit friends, who 
were present, were all that saved me. No 
mortal, except myself, within more than two 
thousand miles, knew anything about this 
matter. The outrage was fully as bad as my 
brother indicated. If this message was not 
from the spirit world from whence did it 
come, and how did it get there % 

Abraham Lincoln Comes Into My Life. 

In the early part of 1896 I had a sitting 
with a clairvoyant medium in Houston, Tex- 
as. She was a total stranger to me. I was 
not pleased with her, as she was a coarse, 



Abraham Lincoln 91 

common, vainglorious woman, who was not 
fully developed as a medium. Near the close 
of the reading she said, "Abe Lincoln be- 
longs to your band." I was so much dis- 
gusted with this presumptious remark that 
I made no answer. It is so common for half- 
developed mediums to claim communion 
with spirits of illustrious persons that it is 
simply disgusting. I left that medium with 
a very poor opinion of her. Some months 
afterward I took a treatment of my head for 
sun pains, given by Mrs. Esther Dye, a very 
reputable healing medium of Los Angeles, 
California. During the treatment she spoke 
of the presence of the spirit of a noted pub- 
lic man. I asked for his name, but she said 
he declined to give it. I insisted on knowing 
the name of the visitor and named a number 
of departed statesmen, but none were recog- 
nized. Finally, I named Judge David 
Davis, with whom I had been well ac- 
quainted. The medium answered, "No ; it is 
greater than he. It is Lincoln. ' ' This state- 
ment made some impression on me, but I 
could not imagine why the spirit of Mr. Lin- 
coln should come to me. I had seen him sev- 



92 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

eral times in his earth life, but was not ac- 
quainted with him. The next time that I 
heard from him was at a materializing se- 
ance in San Francisco, on the night of Sep- 
tember 17, 1897. Five other persons were 
present. The conditions were excellent. 
Spirit friends came to all present. My boy 
Parker, who died in infancy in 1876, came to 
me, gave his name and convinced me of his 
identity. He was grown to manhood. I em- 
braced him in my arms and he sent a most 
loving message to his mother. Next came 
my uncle, Thomas H. West, who, while in 
earth life, had been a very strict Presbyter- 
ian, and intensely bitter against Spiritual- 
ism, and strongly set against everything ex- 
cept his own faith. When he announced his 
name I felt amused at his coming to such a 
place, and I at once asked him, " Uncle Tom, 
have you got adjusted to the conditions over 
there?" His answer was very characteris- 
tic of the man. Instead of answering yes or 
no, he said, "I found I had a great deal to 
unlearn over here." Then came to me the 
full form of Abraham Lincoln, as natural as 
he ever appeared in the earth life. He 



Abraham. Lincoln 93 

grasped my hand with a firm grip and hearty 
shake and held it during his visit of seven or 
eight minutes. His was a wonderful hand. 
I never saw one just like it — very large, 
rough and raw boned. I thanked him for 
coming to me, and expressed my surprise at 
his coming to so obscure a person as I, es- 
pecially as I had been politically opposed to 
him in his earth life. He promptly an- 
swered: "That don't count over here, but 
it affords me pleasure to come to any one 
who is laboring for the upbuilding of hu- 
manity as you are. ' ' Then he spoke of being 
cut off in the midst of his work and others 
had to finish it. Then of the general condi- 
tions of the country, saying that money had 
too much influence in our government. Then 
he spoke of the conditions in Europe, saying 
the troubles would continue there until their 
kingdoms and empires would topple over 
like blocks of wood and republics be estab- 
lished in their stead. He closed by express- 
ing his warmest sympathy for Cuba. This 
was seven months before the beginning of 
the war with Spain. Since that time Mr. 
Lincoln seems to have come closely into my 



94 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

life. Possibly this has resulted from his 
intimate friendship with my beautiful guide 
of whom he speaks in the highest terms. 

On July 28, 1900, 1 had the rare good luck 
of enjoying a private etherializing seance in 
Los Angeles, California. It was the only se- 
ance of that kind I ever saw. Etherializa- 
tion is a very rare phase of mediumship, 
and it is the finest of all phases. The seance 
lasted about two hours, and it was grand. 
The spirits came in etherialized form, as 
they are in spirit life. I could see the full 
form but it looked like a shadow that you 
could see through, but they could talk better 
than when in materialized form. My guide 
came and talked very finely. My boy, 
Charles, while in the earth life, had learned 
to play the French harp beautifully. While 
waiting for some one to come I heard the 
sweet notes of a French harp faintly sound- 
ing in the far distance. Then it ceased, then 
commenced nearer, and louder ; then stopped 
again. Then it came nearer and in the most 
angelic strains played, "Home, Sweet 
Home," the piece he had so often played for 
me when, weary and tired out, I had gone in- 



Abraham Lincoln 95 

to my home and asked the dear boy to play 
me some music. He always cheerfully com- 
plied with my requests on such occasions, no 
matter what he had on hand. I am not 
ashamed to say that I w^ept with delight 
when those sweet notes burst upon me. It 
was the most exquisite touch of heaven I 
have ever enjoyed. When he got through 
playing he came nearer and in full view and 
gave me a grand talk. Holding out his arm 
there appeared suspended from it a bright 
star and crescent. Pointing to them with 
the other hand he said, "Papa, remember 
these are my symbols. The star represents 
love and the crescent represents unfold- 
ment." 

Last of all came the full etherialized form 
of Abraham Lincoln, w T ho gave me a splen- 
did talk. This was at the time when the 
Boxer rebellion in China was at its height, 
and it was the general belief that the Amer- 
ican and other legations in Pekin had all 
been murdered. I asked Mr. Lincoln if our 
people in China were yet alive. He an- 
swered, "I think they are, at least they have 
not yet arrived in the spirit world." In a 



96 Goddena: The Unknown God 

few days after this, rumors began to arrive 
that the legations were safe. During this 
conversation with Mr. Lincoln, I asked him 
who inspired me to write the verses at the 
sea shore at Santa Monica, a short time be- 
fore. He said that my guide inspired me to 
write them and that they were very good, 
and then spoke very highly of her and con- 
cluded by saying that she was not only my 
guide but his guide as well. This statement 
rather paralyzed me, and before I could get 
an explanation he was gone. For several 
weeks I was much puzzled over Mr. Lincoln's 
statement. Others who came were my sister 
Mary, Theodore Parker, and Alan El Has- 
sen. 

On the 23d of August, following, I had a 
private materializing seance in Oakland, 
California. My guide came and made me a 
long visit at this seance, sitting by my side, 
and talking on various subjects. Among 
others were the merits of a portrait of hers 
in my seance room at my home in LeRoy, 
Illinois. She told me the exact cost of the 
picture. In speaking of the color of her eyes 
in the picture I told her the eyes were dark. 




ABRAHAM LINCOLN 



Abraham Lincoln 97 

She quickly replied, "They are hazle," 
which is strictly correct. Then I asked her 
what Mr. Lincoln meant when he said she 
was his guide as well as mine. Then she, 
with her forefinger, drew a circle saying, as 
she did so, "We have circles in the spirit 
world and circles within circles, and it so 
happens that I am the center of one of those 
circles and Mr. Lincoln is a member of that 
circle, and that is what he meant when he 
said I was his guide.' ' 

I have since learned from others that she 
was one of Mr. Lincoln's teachers in spirit 
life. From what I have learned of her she 
is well worthy to be the spirit teacher of any- 
one fresh from the earth life. 

Two days previous to the etherializing se- 
ance above referred to, I was sitting alone on 
the seashore at Santa Monica, California, 
and watching the waves in their ceaseless ac- 
tion. Soon I felt impressed to write some- 
thing. I had no paper with me, but wrote 
the following verses on the margin of a news- 
paper I had bought that morning. 

I know nothing about poetry, its rules or 
measures. I don't know that these verses 



98 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

have any resemblance to poetry, but I give 
them just as they came to me : 

Words of the Waves. 

Oh, what are the wild waves saying, 

And what do they say today, 
As swiftly they come rolling to the shore 

To be broken and dashed into spray % 

They tell of the wondrous power of force 
That comes from the throne of God; 

They tell of the ceaseless efforts of man 
To rise to higher planes than ever he trod. 

They tell of his hopes on their crested tops, 
And his defeats in their ebbing sway ; 

They tell of his courage in coming again 
To be baffled and beaten in sore dismay. 

They tell of the constant struggle of mind, 
To fathom the depths of the unknown 
land; 

They tell of the mighty work of life, 
Ebbing and flowing o'er shifting sand. 



Ignorance of Wise M en 99 

They tell of eternity's endless work, 
Where activity, to the soul, is rest ; 

They tell of man's labors here below, 
And his duties in the realms of the blest. 

— S. H. West. 

Seashore, Santa Monica, Calif., July 26, 1900. 

On the 9th of February, had a fine reading 
with Mrs. Watts, at Houston. Talked with 
my boy Charles, Pansy, and Mr. Lincoln. 
March 9, had trumpet seance in Blooming- 
ton, Illinois. Splendid talk with Charles, 
Pansy, mother, father, brother John and Dr. 
Darrah. Grand talks. On April 27, 
trumpet seance in Bloomington, Illinois. 
Grand talk with Charles, mother, father, 
brother John, Pansy, Dr. Darrah and Abra- 
ham Lincoln. May 2, fine trumpet seance 
in LeRoy. In all these and many others my 
friends would talk as plain, intelligent and 
connectedly as if they had been in the earth 
life. 

Ignorance or Wise Men. 

At one of the best trumpet seances ever 
held in my house, there was present a very 



100 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

intelligent friend, who had no acquaintance 
with the subject. He received splendid tests 
and seemed much interested. But when it 
became known that he had been at that se- 
ance his friends made it so hot for him that 
it seemed his business would be damaged. 
Then I heard he recanted and said someone 
came to him at the seance and claimed to be 
his brother in spirit life, and as a matter of 
fact he had no dead brother at all. Now, 
from an orthodox standpoint this settled the 
case. It clearly proved the whole affair was 
a fraud. But let us see. There are several 
things that even wise, educated men don't 
know. 

At an early period of my investigation of 
Spiritualism, I was told by spirits that when 
spirit life begins it cannot be destroyed. The 
mortal embryo may be prematurely de- 
stroyed, but in such event the spirit germ is 
taken in hand by spirit nurses, who care for 
it until it is fully matured. According to 
this information, my learned friend may 
have a number of brothers and sisters in 
spirit life that he never heard or dreamed of. 
Moreover, I am told that many a mother on 



Bark Seances 101 

arrival in the spirit world is surprised to 
find she has more children there than she ex- 
pected to see. This is a very important 
thing to know. 

Dark Seances. 

A strong objection is made against Spirit- 
ualism on account of dark seances. It is 
true that materializing and trumpet work 
can be best done in the dark. Photogra- 
phers can explain why a part of his work 
can only be done in the dark. Nature does 
its most important work in the dark. All 
seeds grow best in the dark. But much very 
important spirit work is done in full day 
light. 

I have some splendid spirit portraits tak- 
en in broad day light without touch of mor- 
tal hand, pencil, or brush. 

Talking in English. 

Many may wonder how my guide, who 
was an ancient Greek, can talk to me in 
English. At an early period of our acquain- 
tance, I asked her how she learned to talk 
in that language. She said she learned it 



102 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

from my people. I have seen quite a num- 
ber of spirits who could not speak a word of 
English. 

My Life Saved. 

Some years ago an excursion train was 
advertised to leave Chicago for California 
on a certain date. The train was to contain 
a tourist sleeper. I wanted to make a trip 
to California and decided to go on this train 
and go in the tourist sleeper. I made an ef- 
fort to secure a berth in it. About noon on 
the day before the train was to start, I ex- 
perienced a strange change of mind about 
the trip. The desire to go began to leave me, 
and in one hour I lost it all. I was dead set 
against going. I knew this meant something 
serious, but could not tell what it was. The 
train ran on time and before reaching Kan- 
sas City was wrecked and the tourist sleeper 
that I had wanted to go on was burned with 
most of its passengers. I then understood 
what it all meant. 

My guide had told me years before that 
she would keep me out of railroad wrecks. 
She and my brother in spirit life told me af- 
ter the wreck that if T had gone on that train, 



My Life Saved 103 

I would have lost my life. A Christian 
would say that this was providential. As a 
matter of fact, providence had nothing to do 
with the case. It was solely the work of my 
guide who impressed me not to go. 

On February 20, 1902, I held a trance 
seance with Mrs. Georgia Gladys Cooley, in 
my own house in LeRoy, Illinois. The me- 
dium, while in a trance, gave me a beautiful 
message. Then I asked my guide to explain 
to me her relation with Abraham Lincoln. 
The medium was then silent for a couple of 
minutes, sinking into a deeper trance. Then 
my guide seemed to have perfect control of 
the medium and gave me the most beautiful 
address I ever heard. It related entirely to 
the influences of the spirit forces upon Abra- 
ham Lincoln, from the time of his birth up 
through all the stages of his life to his death, 
entrance and reception in the spirit world. 
The recital was sublime. I greatly regret- 
ted that I had no stenographer present to 
take it down. Twice since then I have had 
Mrs. Cooley stopping with me and had a 
stenographer present and tried to get my 
guide to repeat the Lincoln narrative, but 



104 Goddena: The Unknown God 

neither time could I get a word on this sub- 
ject. Xo, you cannot control these things. 
The conditions do not often repeat them- 
selves. At one of these seances where I 
failed to get the Lincoln message I received 
a wonderful message, which I will give in 
full later on, in its proper place. 

On 24th and 25th of February, 1903, 1 had 
beautiful talks with Pansy, Charles, and Mr. 
Lincoln, through a trance medium in Hous- 
ton, Texas. Mr. Lincoln requested me to 
write and publish my views on the negro 
problem, and told me the papers to have the 
article published in, and said when I felt the 
impression to write it would be so strong 
that I would know where it came from. 

In building my new dwelling house in Le- 
Roy, Illinois, I built a beautiful seance room 
in it, which is used only for spiritual uses. 
I built it under the advice and direction of 
my guide, and once or twice consulted Mr. 
Lincoln about it. At one of the last men- 
tioned seances I asked Mr. Lincoln if he 
could make any suggestion about ornament- 
ing the walls of my seance room. He an- 
swered, "Your guide is the queen of that 



My Life Saved 105 

bower and her picture alone should orna- 
ment its walls. ' ' I replied, ' c I have her por- 
trait there already. ' ' He said, " Yes, I know 
that, but she had to take on the earth-condi- 
tions to give you that picture. It shows her 
as a mortal. You can now get one that will 
show her as a spirit, in full standing stature, 
with an uplifted hand. 

On March 28, 1903, dedicated seance room 
in new house with a trumpet seance. Splen- 
did manifestations. Pansy, Charles, moth- 
er, father, Parker, brother John, wife's 
mother, Dr. Darrah, Abraham Lincoln, and 
others came and gave fine talks. 

On 29th and 30th held very fine seances. 
Mr. Lincoln and my guide both expressed 
themselves as highly pleased, as did all oth- 
ers, with my beautiful seance room. Since 
then Mr. Lincoln only comes to my private 
family seances. We hold a seance at night 
to which I usually invite about a dozen in- 
vestigators. I pay all expenses, so the se- 
ance is free to all who are invited. To these 
seances Judge David Davis is a frequent 
visitor. He seems to enjoy them very much. 

Early the next morning, after the night 



106 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

seance, we hold our private family seance 
to which no one is admitted except the fam- 
ily and the medium. Mr. Lincoln never 
fails to come to these seances. He says that 
it affords him great pleasure to come to 
them, because they are just like the seances 
he used to have in the White House, and that 
if he had heeded the advice the spirits gave 
him he would not have been killed, because 
they warned him not to go to the theatre. 
On one occasion Mr. Lincoln told me he 
wanted me to call my seance room the An- 
gel's Rest, because they were all so fond of 
coming there. He treats my wife with much 
respect. At one time, after talking some 
time to me, he turned to my wife and said, 
" Howdy V do, Mrs. West. " She returned the 
salutation, and then she said she was very 
glad to have him come, then said, "Mr. Lin- 
coln, I was down at Springfield, a few weeks 
ago, at the fair, and visited your old home, 
and saw all your old relics, even the old set- 
tee they said you used to do your courting 
on." At this he laughed quite heartily and 
said, "Yes, they have some relics there ; some 
of them are genuine and some are not. They 



My Life Saved 107 

even say they have one of my old rails there, 
but I don't know whether it is so or not. You 
know it has been a long time since I made 
rails and I am of the opinion they have ail 
decayed. ' ' In this manner Mr. Lincoln talks 
as natural, free, and easy as if he was pres- 
ent in the mortal form. 

At one of my private seances, after talk- 
ing to me, he said, "Mr. West, my old time 
law partner, William H. Herndon, wants to 
make a little visit to your seance." I told 
him it would afford me much pleasure to re- 
ceive a visit from Mr. Herndon. Thereupon, 
Mr. Lincoln introduced Mr. Herndon, with 
whom I had a pleasant chat. Then the voice 
of a feeble old woman was heard in the 
trumpet, and gave the name of Nancy 
Hanks. At this the medium started in sur- 
prise, saying, "Who in the world is Nancy 
Hanks?" I told her she was Lincoln's 
mother. The old lady then said she was anx- 
ious to visit the place her son was so fond of 
coming to. However, these things are pro- 
duced, they are as real and natural as life, 
and intensely interesting. 



108 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

It was nearly six months after Mr. Lin- 
coln requested me, in Houston, Texas, to 
write and publish my views on the negro 
problem before I felt an impression to do so. 
One morning in August I started out to get 
my scythe to mow my yard. Before I got to 
the scythe a very strong impression came on 
me to write on the negro subject. It was so 
strong that I stopped, turned back, went in- 
to my library and wrote the article on the ne- 
gro nation as heretofore given. It was pub- 
lished in the Bloomington, Illinois, Panta- 
graph. I sent a copy to the Progressive 
Thinker, of Chicago, as Mr. Lincoln had re- 
quested. As the subject was entirely differ- 
ent from anything discussed in the Thinker, 
I doubted very much whether it would be 
published in that paper. Soon afterward I 
had a private seance with a writing medium, 
with the following result. I went into a 
room all alone and wrote this question. 

Dear Mr. Lincoln : Will the article you 
inspired me to write a few days ago be pub- 
lished by the paper it has been sent to, and 
if so, will it do good? 

S. H. West. 



Questions and Answers 109 

I folded this question, and one to my 
guide on another subject, and placed them 
with several sheets of blank paper in an en- 
velope, sealed them up securely, and went in- 
to another room, and gave the envelope to 
the medium. She placed it between two 
slates and put a rubber band around them, 
handed the slates to me ; I laid them on the 
table where they remained for ten or fifteen 
minutes. I sat at the table and the medium 
was some distance back from it. During the 
interval we talked on different subjects. 
Finally the medium said, "Open the slate 
and see what you have got." I did so, and 
found one of the blank sheets I had placed 
in the envelope covered on both sides with 
the following, written in ink : 

My Dear Friend and Co-tvorker: Always 
glad to make my presence known to you and 
through you spread the light and truth. My 
friend, you may not as yet be able to realize 
it, but you are doing a grand and noble work, 
and the sentiments you have been inspired to 
write, though a little early in the progress of 
thought, will be accepted. There will be a 
little delay in the publication of your article, 



110 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

but it will be given space. The editor has 
not vet been able to digest its entire mean- 
ing, but he is spiritual and I shall be able to 
reach him in his acceptance. Do not, for 
any reason, grow discouraged in your honest 
efforts. The season of ripening the fruit 
may be slow but it will surely come. I will 
stand close by you to direct and sustain you 
in the great grand cause of truth and light. 

A. Lincoln. 

Mr. Lincoln 's signature to the above letter 
is as perfect as any he ever wrote in the earth 
life. The article alluded to was published 
in due time in the Progressive Thinker, 
whose circulation extends around the globe. 
All writings I get from spirit friends are 
couched in different style from that of mor- 
tals, but all other communications I receive 
from them are perfectly natural. The ques- 
tion that I enclosed to my guide at the same 
time I addressed Mr. Lincoln, was as fol- 
lows: 

Dear Pansy : Will my cousin in Califor- 
nia, to whom I introduced you at a seance in 



Questions and Answers 111 

San Francisco succeed in getting her rights 
in her brother 's estate ? 

S. H. West. 

The answer to my question to my guide 
covered more than three pages written in 
ink, and embraced other subjects, as follows : 

Bear Medium : I am here with our many 
other loved ones to greet you today and to 
thank you for all your kindly thoughts and 
the conditions you offer for us to come to 
you. I am well pleased with my picture as it 
hangs upon the seance room wall, but Mr. 
Lincoln urges me to ask you to let me cast 
my real spiritual reflection in full figure up- 
on a canvas as I am looking from my spirit 
home over space to you in your earthly 
abode. It would be my greatest pleasure, 
and in return for Mr. Lincoln's unselfish- 
ness I feel to plead for his opportunity to 
transmit his spiritual likeness, that, while 
after the counterpart of his earthly looks is 
so much superior in reflection, that it would 
surely cast brilliant inspiration upon all 
who gaze upon it. My dear medium, all 
these beautiful productions transmitted by 



112 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

the higher adept spiritual influences bear 
with themselves a power to aid you in the 
grand noble work, and this is why I urge you 
in this way today. There is no time like the 
present. "Procrastination is indeed the 
thief of time. ' ' Yes, your cousin will be able 
to obtain in part her rights in her brother's 
estate, but there will be some difficulty in 
settling it. It will be fought desperately; 
however, with the right counsel she can sus- 
tain her cause. The time is not far distant, 
now, when most wonderful results shall be 
obtained in the home. All your loved ones 
are so joyous and thank you so much for 
vour kindlv efforts in assistance, for vour 
confidence and trust. Now, my dear friend, 
you talk the picture question with the 
medium, and we will see what can be done 
in arrangements. 

Your ever loyal one in guidance and love, 

Pansy. 

In regard to the case of my cousin, that 
after two years contest in courts, it resulted 
precisely as my guide had stated. 

The picture she referred to was the one 
Mr. Lincoln told me about in Houston. 



My Guide's Picture 113 

Texas, six months before. I had talked the 
matter over several times Avith my guide at 
my trumpet seances in my own home during 
the summer. At first she would not consent, 
saying she was satisfied with the picture I 
had, and she didn't think I ought to spend 
any more money that way. But about the 
third time the subject was discussed in my 
home seance she said that to please Mr. Lin- 
coln she would consent for the picture to be 
taken. I had no thought about the picture 
when I wrote the question about my cousin's 
law suit. But it seems the conditions were 
then favorable and she was then anxious to 
have the work done. At that meeting I ob- 
tained a picture of my guide, made in broad 
daylight, without the touch of mortal hand, 
pencil, or brush, that is a beautiful and rare- 
work of art. It is four by six feet, showing 
her in a standing attitude in the midst of 
clouds, with her right hand pointing to 
higher planes and with her left waving a 
gentle benediction to the world. In several 
respects it is not strictly correct and don't 
do her justice, but it is a grand work. 



114 Goddena: The Unknown God 

After this picture was finished, she again 
urged me to have Mr. Lincoln's picture tak- 
en. She described how it would look with a 
white robe on. She explained that this 
work was not being done by the spirit artist 
of the mediums in whose house we w r ere, but 
said they had art institutes in the spirit 
world and she had found an artist who be- 
longed to the same order she did and she had 
brought him with her and he was doing the 
work. I finally agreed to have Mr. Lincoln's 
picture taken, and it was done, all but one 
arm, in one hour and twenty minutes. They 
are both splendid works. I saw the whole 
process and was nearer them than any one 
else. I have a standing offer, published sev- 
eral times, of one thousand dollars to any 
one who can duplicate either one of them in 
like manner. No mortal can duplicate them, 
not even the mediums through whom they 
were obtained, except by the aid of my guide 
and her artist. My guide, in her quaint way, 
in her answer, correctly predicted the effect 
of having those pictures in my seance room. 
They are greatly admired. Mr .Lincoln and 
my guide are both much pleased with them. 



Mediums and Guides 115 

Mr. Lincoln said they were both finer than 
anything in the fine art building at the 
World ' Fair at St. Louis. These letters and 
pictures were obtained under as strict test 
conditions as can be had in any line of in- 
vestigation. 

The phraseology of my guide's letter is 
peculiar, but it conveys her ideas very cor- 
rectly. In all her talks with me through the 
trumpet or in materialized form she talks 
in the usual phraseology of well educated 
modern mortals. No one, except mediums, 
can understand the close ties that exist be- 
tween mediums and their guides. My guide 
exhibits all the affection for me that my 
mother could feel. And I appreciate it be- 
yond the power of expression, and think my- 
self the luckiest of mortals to have two such 
guides as she and Mr. Lincoln. 

For several years after Mr. Lincoln came 
into my life I refrained from using his name- 
in connection with Spiritualism, thinking it- 
would cause much ridicule. Then I asked 
his permission to use his name and he an- 
swered promptly, "Yes; you can use my 
name in any manner you see fit." 



116 Goddena: Tlie Unknoivn God 

Some years ago I attended a lecture in 
Houston, Texas, given by a noted medium. 
She was talented, educated, polished, and in- 
spirational. Her lecture was a fine treat. 
I was so well pleased with it that, before I 
left the hall, I engaged a private reading 
with her for the next day. 

Next day, at four p. m., we held the read- 
ing. It was a failure. I tried in vain to get 
in communication with my friends on the 
other side. I was anxious to talk with my 
guide and Mr. Lincoln, but could not get 
either one of them. Finally the medium said 
Mr. Lincoln was in Europe today ; however, 
some spirits came and talked with me who 
had never come to me before. At the close 
the medium charged me just double the sum 
she had stipulated before we began. She 
was brilliant, but not honest, She is now on 
the other side. 

In four hours after that reading I went 
to a materializing seance held by a poor, 
frail, obscure woman, who was not strong 
either in body or mind. Soon Mr. Lincoln 
came in materialized form and told me the 
reason he could not come to me that after- 



Picture of My Soil 117 

noon was that he could not work through 
that medium's magnetism. After that my 
guide Pansy came well developed, and 
among other things gave me the same reason 
for not coming in the afternoon that Mr. 
Lincoln had given. While she was talking 
there stood by her side a curious looking 
bundle. It looked like a sack of rags. I said 
to her: " Pansy, what is that standing by 
your 7 She said: "That is Charles. He 
tried to materialize but couldn't build up; 
but wait awhile and he will come better." 
After she finished talking she and the bun- 
dle retired. In a few minutes the full f orm- 
of my son Charles came to the front of the 
cabinet. He advanced two or three steps 
very cautiously, then retired. Then came 
again stronger, and walked with great cau- 
tion, as if he was on a narrow and dangerous 
pathway, to the middle of the room; then 
again retired into the cabinet. Then, in a 
few moments, he came the third time in the 
most superb form I ever saw. A white man- 
tle hung in a graceful manner from his 
shoulders to his knees, from there his legs 
and feet were bare. He was now fearless 



118 Goddena: The Unknown God 

and confident, and while modest, had the 
bearing and appearance of a royal prince of 
the celestial realms. He could not speak but 
came up to me and touched my arm. All 
present said he was the grandest figure they 
had ever seen. We sometimes get wonderful 
results from very obscure sources. 

The messages I receive from my guide are 
all pure and elevating. Her mind does not 
run on worldly business, but she will talk 
with me on such subjects when I ask her to 
do so. Her advice is always clear and re- 
markable for sound, practical common 
sense. She is opposed to all my outside spec- 
ulations except my property near Exeter, 
California, and sa}^s that is all right. I con- 
fess that her judgment about most of my 
outside business is better than mine. Her 
talks to me through the trumpet about those 
things are heartily endorsed by my wife. 

It was my intention to publish my bio- 
graphical sketches alone and then publish a 
pamphlet on Spiritualism. At one of my 
seances I asked my guide about it. She at 
once answered, "By all means put it all in 
one book. The two should go together." She 



Spirit Help 119 

gave such good reasons for it that I changed 
my plan, and that is the reason it is all in- 
cluded in one book. I am now satisfied she 
was right. She highly approved of my do- 
nation of a timber reserve to McLean 
county. It affords her much pleasure to 
see me do any good act. 

Spirit Help in Sickness. 

The spiritual philosophy is the most beau- 
tiful one known to mortals. It is in strict 
accord with common sense and reason, and 
founded on actual knowledge obtained 
through phenomena. 

Phenomena are the foundation of Spirit- 
ualism. Without it we would only have 
faith, and be no better off than the Chris- 
tian world. I am a phenomena hunter. I 
was in full possession of the philosophy for 
twenty years before I ever met a Spiritual- 
ist or knew what they taught. It came to me 
spontaneously. 

During the past few months I have had an 
experience that proves the great benefit we 
sometimes derive from our dear ones on the 



120 Goddena: The Unknown God 

other side. On the 17th of June, 1904, 1 was 
suddenly stricken with a terrible malady, 
Two able physicians worked with me nearly 
all day, but could give no relief. We all 
knew that unless relief could be quickly ob- 
tained death would ensue in a short time. In 
this emergency I ordered a surgical opera- 
tion, which gave temporary relief. The next 
day I was unconscious and one of the phy- 
sicians gave out the word that I would not 
survive the following night. My children 
and other friends were sent for. Newspaper 
reporters wrote my obituary and all gave me 
up. Instead of passing out, my conscious- 
ness returned but my suffering was intense 
and blood poison ensued. For days and 
nights I prayed earnestly for death but it 
came not. I then sent for Mrs. Baker, a 
clairvoyant friend, who came and got in 
communication with my beautiful guide, 
Pansy, who sent me the following message: 
We don't want you over here yet. You 
have much work to do in the earth life, and 
we want you to stay and finish it before you 
come to us. Your spirit friends are doing 
all in their power to help you." 



Spirit Help 121 

I gradually improved, and in nine weeks 
dismissed my physicians. They said it was 
big luck. Church people said it was provi- 
dential. I told them all it was the work of 
my spirit band. 

When I was sufficiently recovered I had a 
trumpet medium, of Peoria, to resume her 
monthly seances in my home. The first was 
held on the 22nd of September. It was the 
happiest meeting I ever enjoyed. My spirit 
friends were delighted at my recovery. My 
boy Charles was the first to come and talk. 
He told me the exact words that my guide 
sent me by Mrs. Baker, and then said that no 
earthly power could have saved me except 
by the aid of spirit friends. This was fully 
confirmed by my guide and other spirit 
friends. She said she was with me all the 
time and trying to give me strength. I in- 
troduced one of my physicians, who was 
present, to my guide. She thanked him most 
cordially for all he had done for me and told 
him she was there all the time and impressed 
him to do the right thing at the right time, 
and then told him she would help him in ev- 
ery way she could in the future. 



122 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

I took with me to the National Spiritual 
Convention in St. Louis a photograph of a 
very fine spirit portrait of Mr. Lincoln, 
which hangs in my seance room. I gave it 
to Mrs. Longley for the headquarters at 
Washington City. He came to us at our 
private circle last Friday morning and gave 
a beautiful talk. Said he attended the con- 
vention at St. Louis and was delighted with 
its work and wished that all the people could 
know of the grand and noble spirit and 
work of that convention. He said that he 
stood by my side when I presented his 
photograph to Mrs. Longley, and that its 
presence in the headquarters will accom- 
plish good. 

I now have Mr. Lincoln's full permission 
to insert his picture in this book. 

Mr. Lincoln says it affords him pleasure 
to come to anyone through whom he can 
work. As a sample of the work he inspires 
me to do I refer, to the following article pub- 
lished in the Bloomington, Illinois, Panta- 
graph, in August, 1903. 



Negro Problem 123 

The Negro Problem. 

Editor Pantagraph: A generation has 
passed since the negro was placed on an 
equality before the law, with the whites. In- 
stead of approaching nearer together, the 
gap between the whites and negroes is wider 
today than it was forty years ago. Why this 
increasing divergence? While slavery ex- 
isted there was a strong feeling of sympathy 
in the north for the negro. When he was 
freed and placed on a legal equality with the 
white man, this sympathy gradually faded 
away, and the negro left to stand on his real 
merits, like all other races. 

Under these conditions and lack of affinity 
between the two races becomes more evident 
every day. The feeling of antipathy against 
the negro is stronger in the north today than 
it is in the south. No intelligent close ob- 
server of passing events can fail to realize 
that we can never form a homogenous nation 
of whites and negroes. 

An unwritten law has governed this 
country ever since the first settlement at 
Jamestown and Plymouth Rock. That law 
is that white men shall rule America. This 



124 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

law has been rigidly enforced against the In- 
dian, the Negro and the Chinaman. Right 
or wrong, this sentiment is as strong today 
as ever before, and is growing stronger. 
When Chinese labor seemed to be in the way 
of white labor, Dennis Kearney and his 
sand-lotters in San Francisco raised the cry, 
"The Chinese must go," and kept it up until 
Chinese immigration was prohibited. When 
Negro labor shall seem to be in the way of 
white labor, the negro will be pressed to the 
wall. The condition is growing worse and 
the people are asking the question, "What 
can be done ?" 

Our great statesmen seem to be unable to 
even suggest a remedy. And now, oh, my 
countrymen, there comes before me a beau- 
tiful vision. I see a vast stretch of country, 
an immense valley with a mighty river flow- 
ing through it, with broad, rich, alluvial 
plains on either side, stretching far away to 
the foothills and slopes that extend on and 
up to the summit of vast mountain ranges 
to the north, the west and the south of the 
great valley. The scene is grand and sub- 
limely beautiful. I see, away up near the 



Negro Problem 125 

crest of those lofty mountain ranges, little 
springs of water breaking out and trickling 
down the mountain sides in small rivulets ; 
and, as they descend they unite with other 
little streamlets and finally creeks and other 
streams are formed until they reach the val- 
ley rivers, and when all are united they form 
the grand central river that rolls on with ir- 
resistible force to the great ocean beyond. 
The vision is typical of the solution of the 
negro problem. 

Every incident of trouble between the 
races, riots, lynching, hanging, and burn- 
ing, are the little springs that are forming 
streamlets of public opinion that will in- 
crease in volume and force as the years go 
by. In due time these little streamlets will 
be united into a mighty river of public opin- 
ion of both the white and black races that 
will be irresistible. When that time comes 
all will realize the fitness of the great change 
that will solve the vexed negro problem. 

And now the scene changes on to another 
branch. I see that the enforcement of the 
Monroe doctrine, which now means that all 
foreign powers must keep hands off of all 



126 Goddena: The Unknown God 

American territory while we will take any- 
thing that may come in our reach, in either 
hemisphere, will lead to serious trouble in 
South American affairs. In these troubles 
we will find it necessary, in order to avoid a 
great war with European powers, to take 
possession of extensive regions in South 
America and pay their obligations in 
Europe. In some such manner we will be- 
come owners of a large region in the Amazon 
Valley. In due time, when the little rivulets 
of public opinion become concentrated in the 
mighty river above referred to, our govern- 
ment will give the negroes homesteads in, 
and free transportation to, that country. 
And the bulk of them will go and establish a 
new nation, under the protection of our gov- 
ernment. Most persons think this is an im- 
possibility; most people don't know what 
impossibility means. One million of Euro- 
peans will come to our shores this year. 
AVli en the time comes we can transport the 
negroes as fast as they need to go. In my 
vision I can see the ships that will carry 
them to their new homes. They appear to be 
of large size, built of steel, painted white, 



Proof of Prophecy 127 

and I can see no smokestaks or masts on 
them. This means that neither steam nor 
wind will then be used for propelling vessels. 

The powers that control the destiny of 
races and nations are now inspiring Booker 
T. Washington in his noble efforts to pre- 
pare his race for the great change that 
awaits them. The place of the negro laborer 
in the south will be fully supplied by other 
races, even before he can get away. 

August 14, 1903. S. H. West. 

Proof of the Above Prophecy. 

Mr. Lincoln says when negro labor seems 
to stand in the way of white labor they will 
be pressed to the wall. Only a few w^eeks 
ago the terrible race riot in East St. Louis, 
resulting from bringing negro laborers from 
the south to fill places of white strikers, is 
strong proof of the truth of the prediction, 
and only last week, 2000 white laborers in 
some place in New York went on a strike be- 
cause one negro had been employed. Labor 
organizations are now a great power in our 
country, and they will become a much great- 
er power in the future, and under that power 



128 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

the negro will eventually be induced to seek 
a new home in a climate that will exclude the 
white race. 

The Reasons Why. 

But why should the spirit of Abraham 
Lincoln come to so obscure a person as I, and 
especially to one who was opposed to him in 
the most trying part of his life? Let him 
answer . I mentioned this matter to him at 
one of my private family seances. He an- 
swered : "Yes, there was a time when if you 
could have heard me express my opinion of 
your kind of politics it would have sounded 
very harsh to you, but there are no politics 
or creeds in the spirit world, and it is a 
pleasure to me to use you in presenting some 
of my views to the people." This is pure 
Lincolnism. Look at the man. While pres- 
ident, he had enemies everywhere; some of 
them in his own cabinet; but how kindly he 
used them in carrying on his great work. 
He seemed to have no ill-feeling against any- 
one. The large branch of his party that as- 
sembled in Cleveland early in 1864, and 
nominated Fremont for President, was as 



Reasons Why 129 

much opposed to Lincoln as I ever was. And 
vet, he was animated by a feeling of "malice 
toward none, and charity for all. ' ' And he 
is the same Abraham Lincoln on the other 
shore he was in this life. He comes to me 
simply because my peculiar magnetism 
makes it easy for him to reach me. Close 
associations in the earth life has nothing to 
do with the case. 

Some years ago, at a dark seance in San 
Francisco, a spirit came to me and gave the 
name of Augustus Hazle. This was the 
name of a man I had been well acquainted 
with for many years. He told me he had 
thought, when in the earth life, that I was 
crazy on the subject of Spiritualism, but 
found on arriving in spirit life that I was 
right, and what I had said on that subject 
had been a great benefit to him in the new 
life, and said he had come to thank me for it. 
I had just arrived in the city and no one at 
the seance had ever seen or heard of either 
Mr. Hazle or myself. 

At a trumpet seance at the house of my 
son, a spirit came to me and gave the name 
of Joe Nye. This was an old friend of mine, 



130 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

who had died a year or two before. I asked 
him how we found conditions on that side. 
He said they were fine, but entirely differ- 
ent from what he expected. I said, " Joe, do 
you remember how the boys over at Arrow- 
smith used to make fun of what I said about 
Spiritualism?'' He answered, "Yes, and I 
was one of them. I thought you were away 
off. Xow I know you were right and we 
didn't" know anything about it, and I have 
come tonight to apologize to you for what I 
said about you." 

These messages from the spirits of Augus- 
tus Hazle and Joe Nye more than overbal- 
ance all the scoffs and sneers of a thousand 
ignorant mortals who never saw an angel, 
nor talked to one, or heard one talk, or 
knows to a certainty that the soul really 
exists after the death of the body. 

On April 3, 1905, an old friend, J. T. 
Crumbaugh, an ardent Spiritualist, with 
whom I had been acquainted for fifty-four 
years, departed his life. Mrs. Georgia 
Gladys Cooley was sent for to officiate at his 
funeral. She 4 arrived the evening before 
the funeral and put up at my house. The 



Reasons Wliy 131 

next morning I sent for a stenographer to 
write a message that I expected to get 
through Mrs. Cooley. This expected mes- 
sage was not related in any maimer with my 
departed friend but in relation to the old In- 
dian fort near my home farm, in whose his- 
tory I had taken great interest. And I was 
also desirous of having Pansy repeat her 
message relating to spirit influence on the 
life of Abraham Lincoln, as before referred 
to. The medium, stenographer, and myself 
repaired to my seance room, where, after a 
time, the medium passed into a trance, and 
gave a beautiful communication from her 
control, but not a word from the Indian 
chief or from Pansy about Mr. Lincoln, but 
to my great surprise there came a message 
from the spirit of my departed friend, J. T. 
Crumbaugh, whose body had not yet been 
buried. 

This message is too lengthy to insert here, 
but I read most of it over his dead body at 
the funeral, which was held in the Methodist 
Church with a crowded house. 

This message is the one referred to in 
another place. 



132 Goddena: The Unknown God 

The message gave in detail his experience 
after leaving the body. It was a rude shock 
to orthodox Christians, who can not bear to 
hear from spirit friends. I frequently hear 
from him, and am one of the trustees of his 
large estate which he bequeathed for the 
building of a Spiritual church and public li- 
brary in LeRoy, Illinois. If labor and suit- 
able material can be obtained that church 
will be built the present year and will be the 
finest and most beautiful building in the 
city. 

In July, 1905, I had a private materializ- 
ing seance in Los Angeles. My mother and 
my guide Pansy were the only spirits that 
came to me. The seance was splendid. My 
guide remained with me about three-quar- 
ters of an hour, repairing to the cabinet two 
or three times to renew her strength. 
Among other things, she talked to me on sub- 
jects unknown to any other mortal. On re- 
turning home I told my wife of the incidents 
of this most remarkable meeting. One of the 
incidents was beyond my wife's belief, and 
she said that was a trick of the medium. I 
said to her, "Wait until our next seance here 



Reasons Why 133 

in our own home and we will see." Some 
time afterwards, our trumpet medium came 
to my house and held her regular seance. At 
the private family seance next morning my 
guide Pansy came and talked with me about 
our fine meeting in Los Angeles. I told her 
my wife could not believe my account of how T 
she (Pansy) had taken my handkerchief 
from my pocket before I went to the seance 
and returned it while in the seance. And 
then I asked her to please explain to my wife 
how this thing could be and was done. Her 
explanation was fully satisfactory to my 
wife. Now note this point. In July, my 
guide came to me in materialized form in 
Los Angeles, nearly twenty-five hundred 
miles from my home. In September f ollow T - 
ing she came to a trumpet seance in my home 
in LeRoy, Illinois, and talked to me as in- 
telligently about our materializing meeting 
in Los Angeles as any mortal could have 
done. The two mediums through w T hom 
those seances were held were not acquainted 
and had never had any correspondence. I 
knew of no stronger proof of the truth of 
anything on earth than the above test. I 



134 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

have a number of similar ones. My guide 
tells me through the trumpet, in my own 
home, that she can come to me through that 
materializing medium better than through 
any other medium in the world, though she 
condemns some of the acts of that medium. 

On the 5th of August, 1905, I had a pri- 
vate materializing seance in San Francisco. 
Spirits of my mother, son Charles, sister 
Mary and Lucinda, and guide Pansy came 
and gave fine talks. Pansy remained half 
an hour. 

In January, 1906, at a private family 
seance in my own home, held a clay or two 
before starting to California, my guide came 
and gave me a beautiful talk through the 
trumpet. She talked freely about my com- 
ing trip. I asked her if we could have, dur- 
ing the trip, another meeting like the one 
we had on my last trip. She said, "Yes, I 
will arrange for that kind of a meeting.'' 

I started to California on the 20th of Jan- 
uary and arrived in due time, and went to 
different parts of the State, but had no op- 
portunity, or even a prospect of the prom- 
ised meeting, until on the 1st of March. I 



Reasons Why 135 

accidently saw a notice of a materializing 
seance to be held at two p. m. that day. I 
attended that seance and found it fairly 
good. Among other spirits who appeared 
was my guide. I asked her when we could 
have our private meeting. She said, "To- 
night." I told her the medium told me she 
was going out that night. She said, "Yes, 
she is, but is coming back. You come at nine 

'clock and we will have our meeting. ' ' 

After the seance was over I told the me- 
dium what my guide said and she agreed to 
the arrangement. I went at nine o'clock for 
the private seance, and it was a phenomenal 
success. My guide was the only spirit that 
appeared. She remained for more than an 
hour, and it was a most delightful visit. I 
have not heard or read of anything like it in 
modern times. And after my return home 
my guide talked with me about this meeting, 
through the trumpet in my own home. 

At one of these materializing seances in 
Los Angeles, my son Charles materialized. 

1 went up to him and shook hands with him. 
He said to me, "It is too bad, papa, that you 
couldn't find the medium. She is holding a 



136 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

seance tonight out on Oxford street, but 
never mind, we will soon have a meeting at 
home. ' ' In explanation of this will say that 
I had been diligently searching for a certain 
medium for a week, but could not find her, 
and afterwards learned that she did hold a 
seance that night on Oxford street, which is 
several miles out in the suburbs of Los An- 
geles. At the first trumpet seance in my own 
home, after my return from California, my 
son Charles was the first to come. He spoke 
out in a loud, distinct voice, "Howd'y do, 
papa. ' ' I answered, "How are you, my dear 
boy. Where did we last meet?" "Without 
a moment's hesitation he at once answered, 
"Los Angeles," and then talked about that 
meeting. 

Talks With Spirit Friends. 

Editor PantagrapJi: For two years I 
have been unable to obtain the service of a 
suitable medium for seances in my home 
but a few days ago I engaged a trumpet me- 
dium of Indianapolis to bold seances in my 
seance room. She arrived on the 13th and 
held a seance for three hours that night. I 



Private Seance 137 

had a select circle consisting of eleven mem- 
bers, including the medium. The result was 
very fine. 

"We received beautiful messages from my 
guide and relatives. Then came Robert G-. 
Ingersoll, who gave us a grand talk in his 
own inimitable style. This was the first 
time he ever came to my home, though he 
had talked to me at another place. Then 
came the immortal Lincoln, who made a 
splendid talk. 

Nearly all in the circle received messages 
from loved ones in spirit life. Previous to 
this, Mr. Lincoln had often come to our pri- 
vate family seances, but never came to the 
open circles. 

A Private Seance. 

Early next morning my wife and I held a 
private seance lasting an hour and a half. 
This was still better than the night before. 
My hearing was so bad that I could not 
catch all said through the trumpet. Seeing 
this condition the spirits laid aside the 
trumpet and proceeded to talk in loud and 
independent voices. However, my guide 



138 Goddena: The Unknown God 

could not talk loud enough in her own voice, 
and told me she could only talk louder by 
borrowing strength from my voice, and 
asked me to continue talking while she gath- 
ered strength. Soon she began talking in 
my own strong voice. This was a feature in 
the phenomena that I had never seen before. 
This seance was grand beyond description. 
At 4 p. m. of the same day I held another pri- 
vate seance. 

Ingersoli/s Speech. 

Many friends came and talked in loud, in- 
dependent voices. But my guide 's voice was 
still weak. She tried to draw strength from 
the voices of the ladies present, but failed 
and drew strength from my voice and talked 
with great force. Then Mr. Ingersoll came 
and delivered a speech that was equal, if 
not superior, to any speech he ever made in 
his earth life. It was grand, eloquent, and 
elegantly rounded out in the true Ingersoll- 
ian style. And strange to say that while de- 
livering his magnificent speech he material- 
ized so I could plainly see the most of his 
body. The medium was in a dead trance, 



Relatives Appear 139 

and the ladies could see nothing. Lack of 
space prevents an attempt to give a synopsis 
of the great speech, but it was elevating in 
tone throughout, and strongly in favor of 
woman's rights, and liberal in all things, 
saying if he was back in earth life he would 
preach the same things he did when here. 

Mr. Lincoln and others talked finely. So 
far each meeting w T as better than the pre- 
ceding one. 

At 8 o'clock at night, we held the last of 
our series of seances which lasted one hour 
and a half. 

Having spent six hours in the above men- 
tioned seances in talking with our friends 
in spirit life, I thought they might be weary 
and not have much to say, but I was happily 
disappointed. The conditions were perfect, 
and our friends came with renewed strength, 
vigor and eloquence. 

Relatives Appear. 

My father, mother, sister, brother, two 
sons and many other friends came and 
talked with more force than ever before. 
They gave my wife and I most beautiful and 



140 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

sensible advice. My guide and my boys insist- 
ed that I should quit traveling and stay at 
home. My boy, Charles, said : "Papa if you 
go on a long trip again you will be apt to be 
stricken down again with your old trouble, 
and at your age it would go hard with you. 
Stay at home with dear mamma, and when 
you come over to spirit life Parker and I 
will take a trip with you around the beauti- 
ful world. It won't cost you anything and 
you won't get sick on the way." In this 
beautiful manner the time was occupied, and 
the best was reserved for the last, when Mr. 
Lincoln came and delivered his masterpiece. 
It was much longer than his speech at Get- 
tysburg, in a different strain, but elevating 
and noble and fully equal, and I think su- 
perior, to the Gettysburg speech, and deliv- 
ered with wonderful force and animation. 
Among other things he spoke of was the 
beautiful work being done by my two boys 
in spirit life, and said they inherited that 
from their mother, and said that whatever 
he had done in life was due to his mother. 
That she was ignorant in book-learning, but 
was one of tbo noblest of womankind. He, 



Ingersoll's Speeches 141 

like Mr. Ingersoll, spoke in favor of wo- 
man's rights. Among other things he said: 
"My friend, I will aid and assist you until 
you grasp my big bony hand in the spirit 
world.' ' He also said, "Your prophecy in 
regard to the negro race will surely be ful- 
filled." 

If these speeches of Ingersoll and Lincoln 
as delivered in my seance room on the 13th 
and 14th of this present month of July could 
be put in print they would be gems of 
thought and purity worthy of a place in the 
highest literature of the world. 

S. H. West. 

LeRoy, 111'., July 17, 1911. 

When I moved to LeRoy, I left my home 
farm in charge of my son, Lawrence Jay. 
He used for his bedroom the room that my 
son Charles was born and died in. A trav- 
eling farm hand stopped there one evening 
to stay over night. Jay was not at home and 
his housekeeper let the young man sleep in 
Jay's bed. The next morning he was much 
excited and told strange stories about the 
room being haunted, and all about what the 



142 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

ghosts did, and said he would never sleep in 
that room again. A short time afterward I 
had a trumpet seance at my home, and Jay 
came to it. My son Charles came and talked 
finely, as he always does. Jay said to him, 
" Charley, who was it that frightened that 
fellow so badly that was sleeping in my bed- 
room?'' Charles answered very promptly, 
"I did. Why, that fellow makes fun of us 
and calls us spooks and ghosts, and nobody 
who talks that way shall sleep in my room. 
If he ever tries it again I will make it so hot 
for him that he will get no sleep that night." 
While talking Charles seemed much amused 
and laughed heartily. When Jay spoke of 
its being his room, Charles disputed Jay's 
ownership, and finally appealed to me to de- 
cide the dispute, saying, " Isn't it my room, 
papa ?" I replied, "Charles, you were born 
and died in that room and have the first 
claim to it, but Jay now uses it and so I de- 
cide that you and he are partners in that 
room." This seemed entirely satisfactory 
to Charles. 

Now, it appears from this incident that 
there may be such a thing as a haunted 



The Silent Harp 143 

house. The world has heard of such things 
through all ages. I believe I have already 
told of Charles' skill in playing the French 
harp. On the first of July, 1898, which was 
about three and a half months after his 
death, I was in the high mountains in the ex- 
treme northwest corner of Montana and felt 
impressed to write the following : 

The Silent Harp. 

The harp that through our happy home 

The soul of music shed 
Now lies as mute in our stricken home 

As if the soul of music were dead. 
The lips of him who pressed its keys 

And filled our home with joy and light, 
In the stillness of the grave are closed, 

And hidden from our mortal sight. 
Their notes of sweetness we'll hear no more 

'Till we meet his spirit on the other shore ; 
There in realms of bliss we'll happy be 

With our noble boy for ever more. 
Bright spirit of our immortal child, 

Sound the notes of celestial joy 
And illume the pathway from earth to 
heaven 

Where dwells our darling boy. 



144 Goddena: TJie Unknoivn God 

My wife keeps, with much care, the little 
harp, with other relics of our dear boy. At 
our trumpet seances she often puts the harp 
on the table in the center of the circle, and 
Charles sometimes talks about it, and has 
several times picked it up and tried to play 
on it, but he soon grows weak and it falls to 
the table. The first time he succeeded in 
sounding several notes I said, "Why, 
Charles, I will now have to change my verses 
about your silent harp." He quickly an- 
swered, "Oh, no, papa, don't change it, but 
write some more." 

On March 26, 1907, I was robbed by pick- 
pockets on a crowded street car on Market 
street, San Francisco. At a trumpet seance 
in my home in LeRoy, Illinois, on the 21st 
of June following, my spirit son Parker told 
me all about the robbery, and repeated every 
word I said and what I did on that occasion. 

I have now given some fair samples of the 
many beautiful tests and proofs of immor- 
tality that I have received for nearly thirty 
years. But I have only given a part. I 
could add much more that is wonderful, but 
I think I have said all that is necessary to 



My Guide 145 

prove we can and do hold communion with 
our loved ones on the other shore ; but as I 
was about to close, Mr. Lincoln impresses 
me to say that I owe it to my beautiful guide 
to give some more facts about her. In re- 
sponse to which I will say that in all things 
pertaining to her earth work, she is the 
most reticent and modest being I ever saw. 
As before said, "I am, in many respects, as 
well acquainted with her as I am with any 
member of my family, yet I can not get her 
to talk about herself or her work while in 
the earth life. I have to resort to other 
means for information on that line, and I 
have left no stone unturned in my re- 
searches. I have obtained most of my infor- 
mation from other spirits, and from trance 
and clairvoyant mediums. 

It is very seldom that I fail, when having 
a reading with a good medium of the above 
phases, no matter how far from home, or 
how much of a stranger they may be, to get 
a fine description of my guide. And their 
descriptions all agree as to her purity and 
noble work. Abraham Lincoln speaks in 
high terms of her good qualities. My own 



146 Goddena: The Unknown God 

people on the spirit side hold her in the high- 
est esteem. My son Charles says that she 
was the first to meet and greet him when he 
passed to spirit life, and that she was like 
a mother to him. 

From these various sources I have gath- 
ered the following facts : The earth name of 
my guide was Zelda. She was born in 
Athens, Greece, 451 B. C. She was of an ex- 
cellent family and reared with all the advan- 
tages pertaining to one of her rank. This 
was at the time when Greece attained its 
highest greatness. She was pure, fair, beau- 
tiful and bright. Instead of spending her 
spare time in the idle frivolities of the age, 
she spent it in doing good, visiting the poor, 
needy and sick. If in passing along the 
street she found some poor wretch lying in 
the gutter she would stop, inquire into the 
case, and take measures for his relief. No 
hut or hovel in all the city was too low for 
her to visit and try to relieve the inmates. 
She was so well and favorably known that 
she could visit even the thieves quarter with- 
out being insulted or rudely treated. And 
thus this angelic mortal spent her time in 



My Guide 147 

doing good to others until she was about 
twenty-two years old, when she visited a 
poor sick woman and child, who had the 
plague. She contracted the disease and 
quickly passed to spirit life, 429 B. C. This 
was about the year of the death of Pericles. 
Being cut off in her youth, her earth work 
was only fairly begun, but she continued it 
from the other side, even to the present day. 
But she tells me her earth work is nearly 
done, when she will pass to higher spheres. 

She spent her time in doing good to others, 
the noblest work known to mortals or an- 
gels. But why should this pure, bright, beau- 
tiful angel select me as her medium % I was 
ready to refer this question to other author- 
ities when she came with her gentle influence 
and said, by impressions : 

Tell them the line of communication be- 
tween guides and mediums is not based on 
kinship or close earthly associations, but it 
depends on magnetic affinity, something like 
the transmitting and receiving instruments 
of the wireless telegraph. In accordance 
with this natural law, I can reach you more 
easily than any other mortal, and there is 



148 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

the further attraction that you have the 
courage of your convictions and cannot be 
intimidated from proclaiming the truth by 
all the powers of earth, and Mr. Lincoln's 
reasons are the same. 

"With such friends as she and Abraham 
Lincoln I can smile with serene happiness 
at all the reckless criticism that may be 
hurled against me by persons who never saw 
an angel or heard one talk. 

When I began to write this little booklet, 
it did not occur to me that there were so 
many plain roads to heaven. Thousands of 
very talented and highly educated men 
spend their lives in trying to explain the old 
time, narrow, hilly, rocky road to heaven, 
and then they fail, because they don't under- 
stand it themselves. They do not know 
where heaven is located, nor the conditions 
there. But I, an uneducated common farm- 
er, without any pretention to literary attain- 
ments, find it an easy matter to indicate 
three new, straight, easy and direct roads to 
heaven. I am astonished at the beautiful 
discoveries. Now, with four roads open to 
heaven, every mortal on earth ought to be 



My Guide 149 

accommodated. There is no need of anyone 
going to hell. If you go there it will be your 
own fault. I believe my efforts in helping 
to blaze these new roads to heaven will be the 
crowning work of my life. Twice during 
the present year, Pansy and Mr. Lincoln 
have told me to go on with this little booklet, 
and twice in that time my two boys in spirit 
life have told me of the beautiful arrange- 
ment they have made for my reception over 
there. It is all that could be desired by any 
mortal. 

As I am over 90 years old, nearly deaf, and 
ailments enough to kill two men, and totter- 
ing on the brink of eternity, I am liable to 
be called any time, and hold myself ready 
at all times. It is my greatest desire to do 
all the good I can while I remain in this life. 
And while I enjoy this life, I don't want to 
stay any longer than I can be of some benefit 
to others. 

Most of the phenomena in this booklet is 
quoted from my book, "Life and Times of S. 
H. West." That book will be seen by but 
few people, while this will be seen by many 
more. Hence the repetition. Whatever 



150 Goddena: The Unknown God 

ma}^ be the fate of this booklet, I feel quite 
sure that many of you when you reach spirit 
life will thank me for what I have written. 
Again I urge you to keep in the Short Cut 
road to Heaven. 

Simeon Henry West. 

LeRov, 111., June 21st, 1917. 



ADDENDA 

Great Men Produced by Pre-Natal 
Conditions. 

It is often said that in all great emer- 
gencies Grod raises a great man to meet the 
crisis. This is a mistake. Great men are 
produced by pre-natal conditions of the 
mother before the birth of the child. The 
inhabitants of the spirit world are occupied 
in congenial employment. Some sages there 
discover a mortal woman who is a sensitive 
and who possesses suitable mental faculties 
to answer their purpose. Before the birth 
of her child they impress her with the high 
ideals that fixes the characteristics and abil- 
ity of the child. 

Lincoln's mother was such a woman. 
She was ignorant, but she had the qualities 
that were necessary in the making of a 
great man. That is the way that great men 
are made. 

I do not get the above from the spirit 
of Abraham Lincoln, but from " Thought 
Waves. " Also from personal observation 
of effect of pre-natal conditions. If ex- 

151 



152 Goddena: Tlie Unknown God 

pectant mothers could be surrounded by 
cheerful and pleasant conditions a great 
improvement in the human race would soon 
be made. Let all parents bear this truth 
in mind. 



Horrors of the Present War 

The civilized world is now in a state of 
insanity. Reason is dethroned and the sav- 
age beastly spirit of war installed in its 
stead — Christians are butchering Christians 
like wild beasts of the jungles. Submarine 
warfare waged against women and children 
is on the down grade of civilization. So 
also is the aeroplane system of warfare. 

They are so terribly brutal as to greatly 
endanger our civilization. The system of 
extravagance in expenditures practiced by 
the different nations, if long continued, will 
bankrupt every one of them and some sys- 
tem of repudiation will be a necessity. 

When the financial reaction comes it will 
produce the most deplorable condition the 
world has ever known. Great changes will 
be made in governments — capital and labor 
must adopt a system of co-operation or else 
it will be of little object to own property. 

Among the crush of matter and wreck 
of worlds now raging there will result a 
great revolution in the religious thought of 
the world and mankind will gradually ad- 
vance to a higher state of civilization. 

153 



